Saving Seafood

Connecting the next generation of fishermen

October 19, 2026 — Breaking into the commercial fishing industry can be tough for those not from a fishing town or family. To address this, the National Future Fishermen Coalition is working to bring the next generation of deckhands and captains to the fleets from Alaska to the Gulf Coast and up to New England. The coalition is comprised of regional fishing organizations from around the United States, most of whom had already initiated deckhand training programs, but saw the necessity of joining forces, sharing knowledge, and collaborating for a unified national effort.

“The idea came together in an email chain in 2023 where people from around the U.S. realized they were all working independently to address the same problem — the greying of the fleet,” says Maité Duquela Sánchez, coordinator of the National Future Fishermen Coalition. “We officially launched in 2025 as a platform for fishermen of the next generation.”

These efforts will be presented at the first National Future Fishermen Summit on Nov. 20 at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. The daylong event will feature a variety of panel discussions, talks, and a chance for young fishermen from around the country to network with each other and build connections for the future.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

ALASKA: Pollock trawlers feel cast as the villains of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race

October 7, 2026 — Cole Hockema, operator of the 104-foot Pacific Storm, is disappointed that pollock fishermen like him have no champions in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race.

“It’s just such easy, low-hanging fruit, essentially, to get votes, is to be against trawling,” he said.

The pollock industry, America’s largest fishery, has been hit with a tsunami of popular discontent in Alaska this election season, with loud demands for a ban on trawling. The problem is bycatch — the thousands of salmon and metric tons of halibut the pollock fleet catches by accident. Anger about these wasted fish has sparked a movement that’s flexing its political muscle, and it could be decisive in Alaska’s tight Senate election.

Amid the barrage, the pollock industry — the source of the fish in fish sticks and McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish — is feeling misunderstood.

Trawl opponents focus their harshest critiques on the biggest players in the pollock fleet — the massive catcher-processors, floating factories that are homeported mainly in Seattle, and the substantial number of trawlers owned by out-of-state corporations.

Read the full article at Alask Public Media

National Seafood Association joins Alaskan organizations calling for EU CATCH reform

September 24, 2026 — U.S. seafood organizations are coming together to call for reform to the European Union’s CATCH digital traceability system, citing unnecessary barriers it creates across the supply chain.

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based nonprofit organization Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA); Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.-based marketing institute Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI); and Seattle, Washington, U.S.A and Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.-based trade association At-sea Processors Association (APA) came together to release a whitepaper titled “Advancing EU Efforts to Combat IUU Fishing: Why CATCH Needs Reforms.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

American Seafoods thriving, despite challenging Alaska pollock season

September 10, 2026 — Despite the challenges Alaska pollock suppliers are facing this B season, American Seafoods’ sales are strong and executives’ outlook for the future is positive.

The Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based processor of pollock, surimi, fish oil, Pacific hake and more is having a rough pollock fishing season, Chief Commercial Officer Rasmus Soerensen told SeafoodSource. The fish are smaller and the yields are “not as good” as previous years, he said.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Alaska Airlines purchases four new cargo planes to strengthen freight capacity out of Alaska, Hawai’i

July 24, 2026 — Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Alaska Airlines announced it entered into long-term lease agreements to add four additional 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter aircraft to its existing cargo fleet of five, increasing its fleet to nine total.

“Alaska Air Cargo has two very important goals: supporting our communities and customers and connecting them to the world,” Alaska Airlines Vice President of Cargo Ian Morgan said in a company release. “Expanding our cargo fleet with dedicated aircraft helps us accomplish both goals, opening up new international shipping opportunities for seafood and other commodities while making sure we can reliably ship time-sensitive goods that our communities need, such as medicine, household supplies, and groceries.”

Read the full article at SeaofoodSource

New tagging study tracks Dungeness crab movement in Puget Sound

July 8, 2026 — State and tribal fishery managers in Washington are using a floy-tag study to track how Dungeness crab move through parts of Puget Sound, with the goal of improving how catch quotas and fishing seasons are set in areas where crab populations have struggled.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), working with the Suquamish and Jamestown tribes, has tagged and released 885 legal-size male Dungeness crab since September 2025 across Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet), Marine Area 10 (Seattle and Bremerton area) and the portion of Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of Ayock Point.

In late September 2025, WDFW and the Suquamish Tribe tagged and released 555 crab across six sites in Marine Area 10, ranging from Alki Point in West Seattle north to Apple Cove Point near Kingston. As of June 25, 2026, 84 of those crab had been recaptured in recreational, state, and tribal commercial fisheries.

On June 9, 2026, WDFW and the Jamestown Tribe tagged and released another 330 crab in Marine Areas 9 and 12. Two had been recaptured as of June 25.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

ALASKA: Alaska’s wild salmon harvest climbs to over 14.5 million fish

July 7, 2026 — On the eve of July 4 and a plethora of holiday barbecues, Alaska’s commercial salmon harvest had already brought in over 14 million wild sockeye salmon, with the big surge coming from Bristol Bay.

Silver Bay Seafoods and Trident Seafoods posted $1.60 a pound for chilled, bled sockeye, 30 cents more than last year’s pre-season price and considered a conservative starting price for the 2026 season, said Janis Harsilla, business manager for the Bristol Bay Fishermen’s Association.

Retail sales were steady, with prices ranging between $16.99 to $18.99 a pound at King Soopers supermarkets, between $23 and $29.99 a pound at some online direct-to-consumer shops, $15.99 a pound at Anchorage Fred Meyer, part of the Kroger chain, and $20.99 a pound at Anchorage Carrs-Safeway supermarkets. The best deal in town was still $14.99 a pound at Costco warehouses in Anchorage for fresh Copper River reds. 

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

WASHINGTON: Seattle’s blessing of fishing fleet tradition continues for 98th year

April 13, 2026 — At the water’s edge, Pastor Mary Elise Scott led a group in prayer for a safe and bountiful fishing season.

Guide and protect David Christensen, his crew, and all who fish the North Pacific waters,” Scott said Sunday afternoon at Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle.

Christensen then raised a handmade religious pennant on his boat, Gjøa, before a crowd of 75 people.

It’s the 98th year that Scott’s house of worship, Ballard First Lutheran Church, has blessed the North Pacific fishing fleet, which has relied on the marina since its opening in 1914.

Read the full article at The Olympian

Trident Seafoods sues city of Tacoma for alleged improper fire containment that destroyed fishing vessel

April 13, 2026 — Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods filed a lawsuit against the city of Tacoma on 8 April, accusing the city’s fire department of “making a critical tactical decision” that destroyed a Trident commercial fishing vessel in 2023.

According to King5, the lawsuit seeks damages of at least USD 100 million (EUR 85 million). 

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

USDA awards nearly USD 14 million in catfish, pollock, and salmon contracts

December 15, 2025 —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded USD 13,694,519 (EUR 11,666,316) in contracts for catfish, pollock, and salmon products for use in federal domestic food programs.

Sitka, Alaska, U.S.A.-based Silver Bay Seafoods was the biggest winner of the announcement, securing roughly half of the funding by value. The company was awarded USD 7,077,272 (EUR 6,028,959) to provide more than 88,000 cases of canned pink salmon.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource