Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries moves to allow rock shrimp trawling in Oculina Bank, despite concerns over rare coral

September 23, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is seeking feedback on a plan to allow shrimp trawling in the Oculina Bank off the eastern coast of Florida, despite concerns that it could damage rare coral.

“Reopening the Oculina Bank to trawling places one of the crown jewels of U.S. oceans at potential risk and could destroy some of the last remaining ivory tree coral structures on the planet,” Oceana Marine Scientist Alex Aines said in a release. “This fragile and critically important area has been rightfully protected for more than 40 years, and there’s simply no good reason to reopen portions of it now or ever.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Farm Bill 2.0 included new provisions for fishing, seafood

September 21, 2026, — Commercial fishermen and the broader seafood industry would gain access to new federal lending opportunities and several seafood-specific programs under Farm Bill 2.0, with provisions addressing everything from vessel financing and domestic processing to country-of-origin labeling and shrimp imports.

The Agricultural Act of 2026 includes a series of provisions aimed specifically at commercial fishing, seafood processing, and aquaculture, according to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s section-by-section summary of the legislation.

Among the most direct changes for working fishermen is a provision that would expand eligibility for farm operating loans to commercial fishing.

Section 5216 would make commercial fishing eligible for the loans for costs associated with “acquiring, operating, or maintaining a commercial fishing vessel.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: ‘Flat is Back’ campaign hopes to put flounder back on people’s plates

September 15, 2026 — Aperol spritzes. Dubai chocolate. Dill pickle, well, everything. Thanks to Instagram and TikTok, food trends have never been more of-the-moment, with even seemingly mundane ingredients like cottage cheese enjoying a sudden resurgence.

Why not the flounder? The first-of-its-kind “Flat is Back” campaign, spearheaded by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, aims to build buzz around the plentiful yet underutilized flatfish called flounder, better connecting what fishermen already catch to what ends up on consumers’ plates. The hoped-for result would be a more economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries model, MassDMF Director Dan McKiernan — one he plans to replicate for all kinds of underappreciated fish.

But first, customers have to bite.

In 2023, over three-fourths of all seafood Americans consumed came from just 10 species, with shrimp, salmon, and canned tuna topping the list. In general, American diners tend to consume fewer species of fish than Europeans and Asians, McKiernan said. That can drive up demand for a few key species while leaving plenty of other fish in the sea.

Cod, for example, remains one of the most popular catches, even after its numbers have drastically declined. Flounder, on the other hand, is abundant and cheap.

“We hope that this program can help people get an appreciation for some of the other species of fish, so that seafood can be, surprisingly, fun,” McKiernan said.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

ASC and SFP lead Aquaculture Action Alliance into new phase

September 15, 2026 — The following was released by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership:

Utrecht, the Netherlands – Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) are driving the next phase of the Aquaculture Action Alliance, with the organisations jointly taking on the role of interim secretariat to support the next chapter in the Alliance’s growth.

The Alliance was formerly hosted by IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative, as the Aquaculture Working Group. This move marks a new chapter for the coalition, with a stronger focus on coordinated action, broader participation and measurable actions to reduce aquaculture’s environmental footprint.

The Alliance met in advance of the recent Global Shrimp Forum in Utrecht to bring together members to discuss ongoing efforts and progress for credibly measuring and reducing emissions and strengthening the sustainability of aquaculture.

A Call to the Aquaculture Sector

The Alliance is now seeking additional participation from like-minded companies from feed production to retail who share a commitment to drive long-term progress in aquaculture through improvement and sustainability solutions across the supply chain.

Jill Swasey, Director of Impacts, Monitoring & Evaluation at ASC, said, “Aquaculture has tremendous potential to be part of the solution to global food and environmental challenges. The Aquaculture Action Alliance provides an important space for companies to align approaches, share knowledge and identify where collective action can have the greatest impact.”

Braddock Spear, SFP Prospecting and Outreach Director, said, “By working together, leading seafood companies can increase their impact and support for best practices and state-of-the-art solutions. For aquaculture companies looking to compete on reducing carbon footprints, there is no better option than being part of the Aquaculture Action Alliance.”

Established in 2021, the Alliance has developed tools and approaches to help companies measure carbon, water, nitrogen and phosphorus footprints across aquaculture supply chains. In 2026, the focus is shifting from measurement towards coordinated action, supported by three working groups focused on carbon foot printing, priority actions and establishing the Alliance as an independent entity.

Dominique Gautier, Alliance Chair and Director of Sustainability at Seafresh Group, said, “The Alliance achieved a major milestone in 2026. Underpinned by stronger governance and wider ambitions, we are expanding our focus on what actions we, as leading companies, need to take to reduce aquaculture’s carbon footprint.”

Elena Piana, Steering Committee member and Group Sustainability Manager at Regal Springs, said, “Many of the current Alliance members are focused on farmed shrimp and feed supply chains. To clearly establish the aquaculture sector as the leading low-carbon protein provider, we also need more participation from companies producing and trading in other commodities such as salmon and tilapia.”

Feed companies are critical members in the Alliance, given the central role feed plays in the environmental footprint of farmed seafood and its relevance across multiple aquaculture species and supply chains.

Björn Kok, Steering Committee member and Technical Lead Sustainability Metrics at Skretting, said, “Feed companies can play an essential role at improving the sustainability of aquaculture supply chains. The Alliance needs more of these companies at the table to align sustainability metrics and methodology to facilitate implementation of lasting solutions.”

This re-launch of the Alliance is focused on growth and establishing new priorities for turning sustainability commitment into action. ASC and SFP welcome companies across the aquaculture supply chain and interested organisations to join the Alliance and contribute to practical, sector-wide solutions for lower-carbon aquaculture.

For more information or to explore membership of the Aquaculture Action Alliance, contact AquaAlliance@asc-aqua.org for ASC or aquaalliance@sustainablefish.org for SFP.

More than $100 million in habitat funding targets key US fisheries

September 14, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is directing $103 million toward habitat restoration projects across the country, with several of the largest awards aimed at improving habitat for commercially important salmon, shrimp, oysters, and other species.

The agency announced Sept. 10 that it selected 16 projects for funding, ranging from salmon habitat work in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to salt marsh restoration along the Gulf and Southeast coasts.

The funding is intended to restore wetlands, rivers, coral reefs, and other habitats fish rely on for feeding, spawning, and growth. NOAA said healthy habitat is essential to sustaining both commercial and recreational fisheries and the communities and industries that depend on them.

Demand for funding far exceeded what was available. NOAA received nearly 350 proposals requesting a combined $1.5 billion, more than 17 times the amount ultimately awarded.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

$103 Million in NOAA Funding Awarded to Restore Habitat for Fisheries

September 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has awarded $103 million in funding for 16 habitat restoration projects across the country. These projects will recover and sustain our nation’s fisheries by ensuring fish have access to high quality habitat.

By supporting America’s fisheries, these projects will “Make America Beautiful Again” through proactive, voluntary, on-the-ground collaborative conservation efforts. America’s abundant natural resources—including valuable commercial and recreational fisheries—are vital to our nation’s economy and culture, bolstering industries, jobs, recreation, and more.

Fisheries rely on healthy habitats like wetlands, rivers, and coral reefs as important areas to grow, eat, and reproduce. These projects will restore healthy habitat for fish across the country: from planting corals to rebuild reefs in the Caribbean, to reconnecting rivers for salmon, to restoring salt marsh for shrimp and oysters in the Gulf of America.

NOAA received many more applications than we could fund. The total demand from the nearly 350 proposals we received was $1.5 billion, more than 17 times the amount of funding available. The full list of funded projects can be found below.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Gulf shrimp advocate urges federal caution in aquaculture expansion

September 9, 2026 — An organization representing shrimp harvesters and other related small businesses in eight Southern states last week cautioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to choose its next round of potential large-scale offshore commercial aquaculture sites carefully.

Published July 30, NOAA’s latest request for information seeks guidance from the public and industry stakeholders on selecting the most suitable locations for what the federal agency calls Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs). NOAA has already undertaken this process in Alaska, California and the Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration prefers to call the Gulf of America. The deadline for public comment is Sept. 14.

The Florida-based Southern Shrimp Alliance said in a news release Sept. 3 that NOAA’s process must be mindful of what already exists in the Gulf.

The SSA noted identifying AOAs is the “first critical step in a multi-year process” of downstream planning and environmental review, in this case for NOAA’s South Atlantic fisheries. It added feedback it previously gave had helped prevent two important shrimping areas in the Gulf from being designated as AOAs.

Read the full article at CHRON

Health experts agree — eat more fish. The harder question: Wild-caught or farm-raised?

September 8, 2026 — Shelly Marie Redmond, a Shreveport dietitian, says one of her first priorities with clients is to get seafood into their meal plans.

“Fish can add so much to our well-being,” she said. “It’s rich in protein, which can help us lose weight, but it also is full of healthy omega-3 fats that protect our hearts and decrease inflammation.”

But not all of this underwater bounty is created equal when it comes to health. In particular, the debate over wild-caught seafood vs. farm-raised seafood can become complicated, balancing concerns around nutrition, contamination, overfishing and environmental degradation.

Dana Honn, chef-owner of New Orleans-based restaurants Nikkei Izakaya and Tempero’s Kitchen as well as founder of the Tropical Foodways Institute and the Louisiana Shrimp Festival, says that creating hard and fast rules between wild-caught and farm-raised seafood is not easy.

Read the full article at NOLA.com

US appeals court rejects challenge to turtle excluder device requirements in Louisiana

September 5, 2026 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has rejected a challenge to turtle excluder device (TED) requirements in Louisiana, upholding a lower court ruling.

“We are delighted by this current ruling that will reduce the number of sea turtles from drowning in large shrimp nets, but we will continue to advocate for TEDs to be required in all skimmer trawls to prevent the continuing cruel and unnecessary drowning of these gentle endangered turtles,” Turtle Island Restoration Network Ocean Director Joanie Steinhaus said in a release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump administration vows to bring ‘common sense’ back to fishing laws

September 3, 2026 — From Gulf Coast shrimpers’ lips to the Trump administration’s ear, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced an extensive set of priorities for reforming the nation’s fisheries on Wednesday, a so-called “operational roadmap” to unshackle what the administration views as a lucrative and essential but unnecessarily burdened industry.

An overture to the executive branch’s nascent America First Seafood Strategy, Wednesday’s announcement continues NOAA’s work under Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, an April 2025 White House executive order that called seafood “one of the most heavily regulated sectors in the United States.” Since then, according to a news release, NOAA Fisheries has received input from more than 700 entities, including regional fishery councils, commercial producers, and members of the public.

Read the full article at CHRON