Saving Seafood

Maine, Virginia fishermen unite against further menhaden quota cuts

November 6, 2026 — Commercial fishermen from Maine and Virginia are calling on fisheries managers to maintain the Atlantic menhaden quota for 2027, arguing that additional reductions could threaten fishing families and coastal communities that depend on the species.

In a new video produced by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), Maine fishermen Dustin Delano and Jim Wotton join Ben Landry, a spokesperson for Virginia’s menhaden reduction fishery, to discuss the industry’s economic importance and the potential consequences of further restrictions.

 

The video, highlighted in a Nov. 5 release from the American Small Pelagics Network, comes as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) prepares to consider coastwide menhaden quotas for 2027 through 2029.

“We’re all commercial fishermen,” said Wotton, a fisherman from Friendship, Maine. “I think we need to stick together. We need to work together.”

The ASMFC reduced the coastwide Atlantic menhaden total allowable catch by 20 percent for 2026. According to the commission’s latest stock assessment, Atlantic menhaden are not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

‘We’re All Commercial Fishermen’: Maine and Virginia Stand Together on Menhaden

November 5, 2026 — The following was released by the American Small Pelagics Network:

Fishermen from Maine and Virginia are standing together in support of a healthy Atlantic menhaden fishery, calling on fisheries managers to maintain the coastwide quota after a 20% reduction took effect this year.

In a new video, produced by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), Maine fishermen Dustin Delano and Jim Wotton join Ben Landry, a spokesperson for the Virginia menhaden reduction fishery, to discuss what menhaden mean to fishing families and working waterfronts along the Atlantic Coast.

“We’re all commercial fishermen,” says Wotton, a fisherman from Friendship, Maine. “I think we need to stick together. We need to work together.”

The video comes as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) prepares to consider Atlantic menhaden quotas for 2027 and beyond. The Commission’s latest assessment found that the coastwide stock is not overfished and that overfishing is not occurring. Its ecological approach to management accounts for the needs of predators that depend on menhaden.

The ASMFC reduced the coastwide quota by 20% for 2026. When it adopted that quota, the Commission projected a 0% probability of overfishing in 2026.

Wotton says fishermen need time to see how that reduction plays out before managers consider another cut.

“I think we need status quo right now,” he says in the video. “I think we leave it where it is and we can work something out with the different sectors of the fishery.”

Menhaden provide bait for New England lobstermen. In Virginia’s Northern Neck, the reduction fishery supports fishing families and a community whose connection to the water spans generations.

“If you’ve not been to the Northern Neck of Virginia, the menhaden facility there and the fishing operations is the lifeblood of the Northern Neck,” Landry says in the video. He warns that severe restrictions would reach beyond the boats and affect families in a rural coastal community where other jobs are not always available.

Delano, chairman and chief strategist of NEFSA, says fishermen rely on a healthy fishery for their future.

“Fishermen rely on these fisheries for future generations,” Delano says. “But we need to take advantage of this fishery when it’s here.”

The fishermen are asking managers to maintain the quota and give the people who depend on menhaden a voice in decisions about the fishery’s future.

Watch the video: NEFSA: Maine and Virginia Stand United on Menhaden

Sources

About the American Small Pelagics Network
The American Small Pelagics Network represents fishermen, processors, suppliers, and coastal communities connected to fisheries such as menhaden, mackerel, herring, squid, and butterfish. ASPN supports sustainable fisheries management that supports critical fish species, while maintaining economic opportunities for fishermen and fishing communities.

ASMFC 84th Annual Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

November 4, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for ASMFC’s 84TH Annual Meeting are now available athttps://asmfc.org/events/2026-annual-meeting/ the following Management Boards.  The combined document of supplemental materials can be found at https://asmfc.org/resources/management-meeting-materials/2026-annual-meeting-supplemental-materials-november-2026/

American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment

ACCSP Coordinating Council – Recreational Technical Committee Meeting Summary from October 2026  

Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Advisory Panel Report

Shad & River Herring Management Board – Shad & River Herring Technical Committee Meeting Summary; River Herring Alternative Management Plan for South Carolina; American Shad Sustainable Fishery Management Plan for Maine;  American Shad Habitat Plan for Delaware River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative; American Shad Sustainable Fishing Plan Request of Submission Extension for Delaware River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative; Shad & River Herring Letter from New York Department of Environmental Conservation  

Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Revised Public Comment Summary on Addendum II to Amendment 3 (the originally posted Part 2 also includes this revised summary);  Advisory Panel Review of Draft Addendum II and Quota Utilization; Update on Recent Menhaden Fishery Performance; Draft FMP Review for 2025 Fishing Year; Public Comment

Executive Committee – Revised Draft Agenda; Draft Meeting Summary from August 2026; ASMFC Coastal Fisheries Management Law Overview    

Commission Business Session – Draft 2027 Action Plan

ISFMP Policy Board – Revised Draft Agenda; Fishing Effort Survey 2026 Calibration  Factsheets for the Greater Atlantic Region and Southeast Region; ASMFC Stock Assessment Schedule; Public Comment

Habitat Committee – Commissioner Survey Identifies Habitat Priorities and Information Needs

Webinar Information

The Law Enforcement Committee, Habitat Committee and Atlantic Coast Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee have unique webinar links that are available as part of the individual committee materials. 

 

Meeting proceedings for all other boards/committees will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, November 9 at 9:30 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:15 PM) on Thursday, November 12. To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4458443143765348954 (Webinar ID:199-853-067)

 

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you may also call in at +1 (213) 929-4212, access code 157-264-158. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

 

Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

Meeting Process

Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

 

Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings: 

 

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

 

For topics that are on the agenda that have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the board.

 

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment, if any, to allow in these circumstances.

 

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

 

  1. Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (October 19) will be included in the briefing materials.
  2. Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, November 3 will be included in supplemental materials.
  3. Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, November 6 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

US commercial fisheries landed 7.7 billion pounds in 2024

November 3, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries released three of its flagship reports on U.S. fisheries, showing commercial fishermen landed 7.7 billion pounds of seafood worth $4.9 billion in 2024, while the number of stocks subject to overfishing fell to an all-time low in 2025.

The agency released its 2025 Status of Stocks report alongside the 2024 Fisheries of the United States and 2024 Fisheries Economics of the United States reports, providing a broad look at the biological and economic health of U.S. fisheries.

According to NOAA Fisheries, U.S. commercial fisheries supported 1 million jobs in 2024 and generated $175 billion in sales, $44 billion in income and $70 billion in value-added impacts nationwide. Combined, the commercial fishing, seafood and recreational fishing industries generated $321 billion in sales and supported 1.7 million jobs.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Satellite tagging offering NOAA better understanding of red king crab migration patterns

November 3, 2026 — Research led by NOAA Fisheries found that red king crab migrations off the coast of Alaska are impacted by environmental factors, implying that regulators need more flexible tools to effectively manage the species.

In order to research why red king crab populations in Bristol Bay, Alaska, U.S.A. were migrating at certain times of year, researchers conducted satellite tagging research from the late spring of 2021 to the fall of 2024.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Number of stocks on NOAA’s overfishing list drops to an all-time low

November 2, 2026 — The number of stocks on NOAA Fisheries’ overfishing list has declined from 23 to 15 – an all-time low.

The agency’s Status of the Stocks report is an annual report to Congress summarizing the overfishing or overfished status of the 522 stocks or stock complexes it tracks. In its fiscal year 2025 report, the agency removed eight stocks from its overfishing list – Atlantic blue marlin; Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack and gag; Mid-Atlantic summer flounder; Western and Central Pacific silky hark; and Southern Atlantic snowy grouper, gag, and blueline tilefish – and added no new stocks. That leaves just 15, or 4 percent, of the 522 stocks on the overfishing list.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Fisheries Releases Three Flagship Reports: 2025 Status of Stocks, 2024 Fisheries of the United States, and 2024 Fisheries Economics of the United States

October 30, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is pleased to share three of our flagship reports: Status of Stocks 2025 Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries, 2024 Fisheries of the United States, and 2024 Fisheries Economics of the United States. Each of these reports is a crucial part of how we track and monitor the state of United States marine fisheries.

2025 Status of Stocks

The 2025 Status of Stocks is an annual report to Congress on the status of U.S. fisheries. We track 522 stocks or stock complexes to determine their status:

  • Overfished: population size is too small
  • Subject to overfishing: harvest rate is too high
  • Rebuilt: target level supports maximum sustainable yield

In fiscal year 2025, NOAA Fisheries conducted 173 stock assessments and had two first-time stock status determinations as the result of improved or new scientific endeavors.

The 2025 Status of Stocks report shows positive trends: The number of stocks on the overfishing list decreased to an all-time low and another stock was added to the rebuilt list. That brings the number of rebuilt stocks to 52 since 2000. The number of stocks on the overfishing list dropped from 23 to 15 stocks. Of the 372 stocks with a known overfishing status, 96 percent are not subject to overfishing. The number of stocks on the overfished list remained the same at 42 stocks. Of the 265 stocks with a known overfished status, 84 percent are not overfished.

Notably, Atlantic blue marlin was removed from the overfishing list for the first time since 1998 and Quillback rockfish (California) was added to the rebuilt list in 2025.

Managing fisheries sustainably is an adaptive process that relies on sound science, innovative management approaches, effective enforcement, meaningful partnerships, and robust public participation. Partnerships with the regional fishery management councils, state and international partners, and interstate fisheries commissions are also key to the success of ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

ALASKA: Alaska Fisheries Science Center attributes hybrid snow-Tanner crab boom to marine heatwave, decreased competition and predation

October 29, 2026 — Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Kodiak Laboratory recently completed research on how certain hybrid crab populations have increased in Alaska’s Bering Sea following a marine heatwave and subsequent mass die-off events from 2018 to 2019.

“These results are unprecedented,” study lead Erin Fedewa said in a NOAA release. “We were shocked by the magnitude of the hybrid surge while analyzing data from the 2025 Eastern Bering Sea bottom trawl survey. It immediately became clear that this ecological response would ripple through to fisheries management.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

UFCW Local 400 Statement on Proposed Chesapeake Bay Menhaden Cuts

October 28, 2026 — The following was released by UFCW Local 400:

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 is calling on lawmakers and fisheries regulators to protect the livelihoods of hundreds of working families in Virginia’s Northern Neck as they consider additional restrictions on Atlantic menhaden fishing in the Chesapeake Bay.

This call comes after an October 9 congressional letter, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representative Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), urged the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to impose further restrictions on the fishery before ongoing scientific research into Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden populations has been completed.

UFCW Local 400 represents the fishermen working in the menhaden fishery who depend on the industry for stable union jobs, wages, and benefits. These workers, many of whom are African American, have long been part of the social and economic fabric of Virginia’s Northern Neck.

According to the ASMFC’s latest stock assessment, Atlantic menhaden are not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The Commission has already reduced the coast-wide catch limit by 20 percent this year, while additional research remains underway.

Working families should not be forced to bear the economic consequences of decisions made without a full understanding of their impact. UFCW Local 400 members recognize the importance of protecting the Chesapeake Bay and maintaining sustainable fisheries for generations to come. Environmental stewardship must go hand in hand with economic justice and meaningful consideration of the communities whose livelihoods are at stake.

Our members have demonstrated their commitment to responsible fishing practices and the long-term health of the Bay. As documented in Local 400’s reporting on Ocean Harvesters, members have worked within regulatory catch limits and supported the sustainable management of menhaden populations. In our 2025 video featuring union fishermen, workers spoke about their responsibility to the ecosystem and the importance of preserving the fishery for future generations.

Their commitment extends beyond environmental stewardship to protecting lives on the water. In 2020, UFCW Local 400 members rescued six people after their boat caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean near the Maryland-Virginia line. Their actions reflect the deep connection these workers have to the waters they navigate every day and the communities they call home.

For generations, union fishing jobs have provided a pathway to economic stability in Virginia’s Northern Neck. Further restrictions could threaten not only individual livelihoods, but also the economic security of families that have long depended on the industry.

Conservation and workers’ rights should not be treated as competing priorities. Any decisions about the future of Menhaden must be grounded in rigorous research that is informed by the workers whose lives will be affected and accountable to the communities that depend on these jobs.

UFCW Local 400 urges lawmakers and the ASMFC to refrain from imposing additional Chesapeake Bay menhaden restrictions until ongoing research can establish their necessity. Working people should have a voice in decisions that shape their livelihoods, their communities, and their futures.

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United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 Union represents approximately 35,000 workers in the grocery, retail, cannabis, health care, food processing, service, and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. ufcw400.org

Collaboration with Fishing Industry Contributes to Successful Longfin Squid Assessment

October 26, 2026 — Longfin squid is an economically important species that is challenging to study. Mostly caught from Rhode Island to New Jersey, it supports a commercial fishery worth approximately $32.5 million in 2024. It is often found on restaurant menus as calamari.

Longfin squid live less than a year, grow rapidly, and the number of young entering the population is highly variable. Their populations are influenced by dynamic ocean conditions, leading to shifts in abundance and distribution that are challenging to understand or predict. Longfin squid migrate with the seasons, generally moving south and offshore in the late fall and returning north and inshore during the spring. Scientific surveys capture seasonal snapshots of the population but they cannot provide specifics about the squid caught in the fishery.

Successful Research Track Peer Review

In August 2026, an independent panel of scientists completed the peer review for the Longfin Inshore Squid Research Track Assessment. The panel approved two new assessment models—both of which met all required Terms of Reference and were deemed suitable for management advice. These models mark a significant technical advancement over past index-based approaches. They are better able to capture the rapid growth, seasonal changes in abundance, and unique biology of this short-lived species.

This major accomplishment for a historically data-poor species was possible because of strong collaboration between scientists and commercial fishing industry partners. Having a better foundational understanding of longfin squid life history, as well as two distinct and credible models, gives managers greater flexibility and confidence in using the best available science. The review marks an important milestone in the multi-year effort to improve our understanding of longfin squid and develop better tools to assess the stock. The findings will be implemented during the upcoming Longfin Squid Management Track Assessment this fall.

We combined analytical expertise of scientists with on-the-water knowledge of fishermen who encounter this species throughout the year, making great strides together toward better understanding this economically important and enigmatic species.

“The foundation of trust and collaboration between the science and fishing communities was critical to the scientific progress made during the longfin squid assessment. From sharing ecological observations to collecting data to providing input on model assumptions and outputs, industry partners played a critical role in all phases of the assessment,” shared Dr. Anna Mercer, chief of the center’s Northeast Cooperative Research branch.

The goals of the collaboration are:

  • Better science for sustainable management
  • Better information to support decisions about how much seafood can make its way from the ocean to our tables

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries