July 23, 2026 — Many U.S. restaurants have been forced to raise menu prices over the past few years due to a combination of factors, such as rising labor and food costs, as well as tariffs on a wide assortment of goods.
According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), U.S. restaurant expenses have risen sharply across all major categories since 2019.
July 14, 2026 — The New England Aquarium has opened a new exhibit to educate the public on local marine life.
The recently opened New England Harbor exhibit explores harbor life, highlighting how eco-friendly science and design can help cities like Boston “stay resilient,” while allowing animals to thrive, the nonprofit said in a July 13 press release.
July 13, 2026 — The cameras are rolling again on Georges Bank, where NOAA Fisheries scientists are collecting millions of images of the seafloor to help shape future management of the Atlantic sea scallop fishery.
The agency’s annual Habitat Camera, or HabCam, survey completed its second leg in late May after spending nine days photographing the seafloor across Nantucket Lightship, the Great South Channel and Georges Bank, roughly 60 to 100 miles offshore. Unlike traditional research surveys that collect animals, HabCam relies on a towed camera system that documents scallops and other bottom-dwelling species without disturbing them.
July 13, 2026 – – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is touting its designation of National Scallops Day, the opening of the Northern Edge of Georges Bank to scallop fishing, and permit stacking as a means of boosting the fishery.
The administration recently sent a deregulatory wish list to regional fishery management councils, which included a range of different recommendations like modernizing fleet capacity in the area managed by the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council and shifting the management of red snapper away from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
July 10, 2026 — President Donald Trump’s proposal to reopen the Northern Edge of Georges Bank to scallop fishing is generating optimism throughout New England’s scallop industry, though fishermen and scientists say reopening one of the East Coast’s most productive fishing grounds will likely take time and require approval through the federal management process. The Northern Edge has been closed to scalloping since 1994 to protect Atlantic cod habitat.
The Trump administration announced it plans to reopen the area on a rotational basis and allow “stacking” of scallop permits, which would enable vessels to harvest multiple permits on a single trip. However, Maine Public reported that the New England Fishery Management Council would first need to approve the change before the fishery could reopen.
“From an industry perspective, access to the Northern Edge would be a blessing,” Eric Hansen, owner of two New Bedford scallop vessels and a council member, told Maine Public. “The loss of resource and revenue for the scallop industry for the last 30 years has been huge.”
July 10, 2026 — This afternoon, White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro posted a video on X noting that “.@POTUS is protecting our scallop industry by opening up the Northern Edge of Georges Bank off the coast of New England.”
In the video, Mr. Navarro says:
President Trump is making American fishing great again. The latest example is scallops. America has the largest wild scallop fishery in the world. Atlantic scallops are a premium American protein, yet imports now supply roughly 85% of what Americans consume by weight. While the scallop trade deficit approaches 59 million pounds, $390 million. Only Washington could call that conservation. The insanity is clearest on Georges Bank. Canada lawfully harvests scallops on its side of the line, while American boats remain locked out of the adjacent U.S. northern edge by regulators.
In 2024, Canada landed more than 7 million pounds of scallops from Georges Bank, roughly the same amount America imported from Canada. That’s not a supply problem. That is a policy failure. President Trump and NOAA are moving to fix it by restoring lawful science-based access to the Northern Edge of Georges Bank. And they’re tackling another bad piece of scallop math: the one permit, one boat rule. Today, scallop boats can sit in ports for about 11 months a year. Permit stacking would let the same lawful harvest be taken with fewer idle boats, lower costs, and a stronger American fleet. No higher catch limit, no overfishing, just common sense.
More American scallops, more American jobs, less dependence on foreign seafood. How do you like them scallops?
July 10, 2026 — Alaska’s commercial weathervane scallop fishery opened July 1 with harvest levels unchanged from last season, but despite nearly 400,000 pounds of statewide quota available, only two vessels are expected to participate in one of the world’s most exclusive commercial fisheries.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), the 2026/27 fishery carries a statewide guideline harvest level (GHL) of approximately 381,700 pounds of shucked scallop meat, with nearly half of the allocation, 190,000 pounds, coming from waters around Kodiak.
Kodiak remains the center of Alaska’s scallop fishery, but as KMXT reported on July 8, there was no rush of boats leaving the harbor when the season opened. “Weathervane scallops are the largest species of scallop in the world, and the only scallop species on the West Coast that has a substantial commercial fishery,” Kodiak-based ADF&G area biologist Nat Nichols told KMXT.
July 9, 2026 — A Marine Protected Area (MPA) petition filed by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (SYBCI) includes the area from Morro Rock to the dog beach.
The MPA was one of 20 received by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2023. There were also 72 proposed regulatory changes.
“The original petition proposed the allowance of recreational take of finfish and invertebrates except mussels and scallops,” said Claire Wagonner, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Region Habitat Conservation Program Manager. “So it would’ve still continued to allow some recreational take.”
Waggoner said that changed in April when the tribe requested to amend the petition, allowing only tribal fishing for the SYBCI.
“It’s our livelihood,” said Lori French, a Morro Bay fisherman’s wife. “It’s his identity. It’s not like you just go to work and shut the job off.”
July 8, 2026 — South Coast scallopers are rejoicing at President Trump’s pledge, on Thursday, to reopen a prime scallop fishing area off Massachusetts.
But the process could take more than 18 months, and Cape Cod scallopers may not benefit as much as those in New Bedford.
“From an industry perspective, access to the Northern Edge would be a blessing,” said Eric Hansen, owner of two New Bedford scallop vessels. “The loss of resource and revenue for the scallop industry for the last 30 years has been huge.”
The Northern Edge, a section of Georges Bank, has been closed to scalloping since 1994.
Aubrey Church, policy director at the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, said some of the smaller commercial vessels on Cape Cod Cape are unlikely to be able to make the 15-hour trip to the Northern Edge.
Many of Cape Cod’s commercial fishing vessels are dayboats, meaning they go out and return on the same day.
Church said the alliance wants to hear more from its members before taking a position on access to the Northern Edge.
“Understanding how different sectors of the fleet may be affected will be an important part of our discussions with members,” she said.
July 7, 2026 — A prominent scallop fishing ground could soon reopen after more than three decades.
Pres. Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to reopen the Northern Edge of Georges Bank, an area that has been closed to commercial fishing since 1994. In the announcement, Trump also gave a shoutout to New Bedford, highlighting the city as one that could benefit from the move.
For many fishermen, the news is generating excitement about returning to waters that previous generations once worked.