Saving Seafood

Right whale ambassadors celebrate baby boom

February 24, 2026 — The right whale calving season is ending on a positive note. As of this week, 22 right whales have been born in the warm waters off the Southeastern U.S. Coast.

It has been 15 years since 22 whales were born in a single calving season, which runs from November to April, says Julie Albert, director of the Right Whale Sighting Network at the Blue World Research Institute in Cocoa, Florida. Only about 370 right whales still exist. Right whales have been listed on the national Endangered Species list since 1970.

“With this species having such a small population, every single birth gets celebrated,” Albert says. “There are fewer than 70 breeding females, and they are getting older and older when they give birth for the first time. They are stretching out the intervals in which they have their calves.”

The Southeastern U.S. coast is a prime right whale birthing area, and the island has become central to efforts to save the creatures. The annual Right Whale Baby Shower, which marks the end of the calving season, will be held April 8 at the Tigre Island Room in Fernandina Beach. The event is hosted by the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors, Inc., an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that seeks to educate the public about the plight of right whales. The entry fee is a suggested $20 donation.

Read the full article at Fernandina Observer

Atlantic Sea Scallop Dredge Survey Enters 4th Decade

December 22, 2025 — The Atlantic Sea Scallop Dredge Survey, a cornerstone of fisheries science and management along the U.S. East Coast, marked more than four decades of research in 2024, underscoring its role in supporting one of the region’s most valuable commercial fisheries.

First launched in 1979, the survey has evolved from a government-led effort into a collaborative partnership between marine scientists and the scallop fishing industry. Today, researchers work alongside commercial crews aboard working scallop vessels, allowing data to be collected under real-world fishing conditions.

The survey gathers critical information on the abundance, spatial distribution, and life history of Atlantic sea scallops across a broad range, from Georges Bank to the Delmarva Peninsula. This long-running dataset provides fisheries managers with the scientific foundation needed to set catch limits, protect habitat, and ensure the sustainability of the stock.

Read the full article at the Cape Charles Mirror

Haddock broadline sales up, prices likely to rise

January 23, 2019 — Haddock, a species that for decades has largely been popular in New England and the Middle Atlantic, is starting to proliferate down the U.S. East Coast, according to the latest data.

Broadline sales of haddock increased in nearly every U.S. market between 2016 and 2018. At the low end, sales in the “East North Central” area stayed relatively flat, while sales in the West South Central region of the U.S. (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana) increased by 92 percent.

Broadline sales everywhere else increased too: Middle Atlantic by seven percent, South Atlantic by 21 percent, Mountain-Pacific by 44 percent, West North Central by 49 percent, and East South Central by 48 percent.

Read the full story at Seafood Source