Saving Seafood

US judge weighs if Trump administration can lawfully halt wind projects

November 19, 2025 — A federal judge on Tuesday wrestled with whether President Donald Trump‘s administration had acted lawfully when it halted permitting of new wind projects nationwide.

U.S. District Judge Patti Saris, during a hearing in Boston in a lawsuit by 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, questioned whether federal agencies could lawfully implement the Trump-directed pause by “simply saying the president told me to do it.”

The U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency had all acted to implement a directive the president made on his first day back in office on January 20 to halt offshore wind lease sales and stop issuing permits, leases and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects.

He issued that directive while also moving to ramp up the federal government’s support for the fossil fuel industry and maximize output in the United States, the world’s top oil and gas producer, after campaigning for the presidency on the refrain of “drill, baby, drill.”

Read the full article at Reuters

Department of Commerce Announces 2025 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils

June 30, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Commerce announces the appointment of 20 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils. 

Council members represent interested groups including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental organizations, and academia, along with state and federal agencies. They are vital to fulfilling the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks, and manage them sustainably.

Each year, the Secretary of Commerce appoints approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils. The Secretary selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories, and tribal governments.

The Secretary appoints council members to both state-specific and regional seats—also known as obligatory and at-large seats. They serve a three-year term, up to three consecutive terms.

* Asterisk following a member’s name indicates a reappointment.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

MASSACHUSETTS: Bourne woman worked to keep fishing sustainable off Cape Cod. Cuts to NOAA hit her job.

March 19, 2025 — Sarah Cierpich isn’t holding her breath after learning her termination from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been ‘rescinded.’

The Bourne resident received a letter on March 17 from the U.S. Department of Commerce saying her Feb. 27 termination has been stayed by a federal judge. Her termination was part of the ongoing effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to slash the size of the federal bureaucracy and budget.

According to the letter, she was reinstated to her position “retroactive to the effective date of your termination, and placed in a paid, non-duty status until such time as this litigation is resolved or the Department of Commerce determines to take other administrative action with respect to your employment.”

Cierpich was a fisheries management specialist working out of Woods Hole. She managed NOAA’s observer deployment systems and worked on algorithms for a program that put trained observers on commercial fishing vessels. Observers collect data that is used in fishery stock assessments and fisheries management measures.

“It’s data on marine mammals, turtles, birds, information on all creatures in the ocean and the sustainability of that resource,” she said in an interview March 13. “It ensures the long-term sustainability of commercial fishery resources.”

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times

Legislation seeks $500M to protect working waterfronts

March 8, 2025 — Lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to safeguard and strengthen working waterfronts by creating a $500 million grant program and preservation loan fund over five years to provide funding options for coastal communities and establish a Working Waterfronts Task Force in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, introduced by Rep. Wittman, R-Va., and Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, aims to support coastal communities by ensuring access to working waterfronts for commercial fishing, aquaculture and tourism industries.

“Deteriorating waterfronts don’t just weaken our economy—they erode the heart of our communities, especially in Virginia’s First District,” Wittman said in a statement.

He continued, “Working waterfronts support businesses, provide access to water, drive economic vitality, and enhance our quality of life. Yet, rising pressure from population growth and development threatens to displace Virginia’s water-dependent industries and the families who have deep cultural and historical ties to these areas.”

Read the full article at The Center Square

ALASKA: Alaska requests federal relief for 2024 fisheries disasters

February 26, 2025 — The U.S. state of Alaska has requested millions of dollars in financial relief from the federal government to compensate fishers and related businesses for lost revenue from the state’s struggling salmon fisheries.

In his request for a fishery disaster determination from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said the low salmon runs across the state could be devastating for local fishers and communities who depend on revenue from the fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump nominee vows to keep NOAA intact, stop “communist fish” from entering US

February 3, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Department of Commerce Howard Lutnick told U.S. senators at his confirmation hearing that he would not dismantle NOAA and would work to protect American fishers.

Under questioning from lawmakers, Lutnick said that he looked forward to working with the president in implementing tariffs to gain respect from foreign nations.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Legislation would make US shrimpers eligible for fishery disaster relief

October 28, 2024 — A bill introduced by U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) would open federal fishery resource disaster funding to American fisheries devastated by foreign competition, such as the domestic shrimp sector.

“Our domestic fisheries are under assault not only from illegal and subsidized foreign competition but also from bureaucratic red tape failing to protect American industries,” Mace said in a statement. “The Protect American Fisheries Act takes a stand against these harmful practices and the inefficiencies in our system allowing them to persist. This legislation ensures we can cut through the red tape, defend the livelihoods of hardworking American fishermen, and strengthen our coastal economies by targeting illegal fishing, predatory pricing, and foreign market distortions.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US government allocates USD 40 million in financial relief for Alaska’s Bering Sea snow crab fishery

October 1, 2024 — The U.S. Department of Commerce has allocated USD 40 million (EUR 36 million) in financial relief to fishers and businesses impacted by the 2023/2024 Alaska Bering Sea snow crab fishery.

“As climate change continues to have severe impacts on the fisheries and ecosystems that are vital to Alaska’s economy, the Department of Commerce remains committed to providing disaster relief across the state,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo said. “This funding will help Alaskans recover from the Bering Sea Snow Crab Fishery disaster, support the community’s efforts to prevent future disasters, and keep jobs, recreation and cultural connections thriving.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US senators blame new financial management software for delayed fishery disaster funding

September 19, 2024 — A group of U.S. senators claim that a newly implemented financial management software has caused delays in the allocation of fishery disaster funds, and they want answers.

The USD 341 million (EUR 306 million) Business Application Solution was built to modernize the U.S. Department of Commerce’s financial operations, but federal lawmakers claim the software has resulted in system failures and delays, including to NOAA’s fishery disaster program.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers push to improve distribution of fishery disaster aid

August 28, 2024 — U.S. federal legislators are coalescing around a bill to streamline the government’s process for doling out financial relief related to fishery disasters.

Even when a request for aid is swiftly filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), it can take several months to multiple years for fishers to receive federal money. For fishers who often live on tight margins, surviving the loss of income from a fishery disaster for long periods without federal relief is a difficult prospect

Read the full article at SeafoodSource