Saving Seafood

USDA launches new office to support US seafood industry

April 17, 2026 — The federal government is rolling out a new office aimed at making it easier for fishermen and seafood businesses to get help from Washington.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is creating an Office of Seafood, a first of its kind office aimed at better connecting seafood producers with federal programs and support.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said in a statement the goal is to make it easier for fishermen, processors and aquaculture businesses to navigate government resources that haven’t always been easy to access.

Read the full article at WSUA9

Senator Collins’ Statement on the Creation of the USDA Office of Seafood

April 17, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Susan Collins:

U.S. Senator Susan Collins released the following statement announcing the creation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Seafood:

“Fishing is the very foundation of Maine’s heritage. Today, the seafood industry in our region generates more than $5 billion in income and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, in addition to providing a nutritious food supply, delicious restaurant meals, and sustaining entire coastal communities. I appreciate that USDA is recognizing our fishermen as farmers of the sea and establishing the Office of Seafood. The creation of this office is a long-overdue, essential step to expanding seats at the table for our hardworking fishing families, who are a key piece of our nation’s history and our future as well.”

+++

The USDA Office of Seafood will expand federal support for America’s fishermen and seafood harvesters, and ensure fishermen, small businesses, and coastal communities have greater access to USDA programs. It will also coordinate across USDA agencies to ensure fishermen are able to interact directly with the U.S. Department of Commerce and other federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.

Senator Collins has been a strong advocate for Maine’s fishermen and women and the seafood industry. Senator Collins led the Maine delegation in securing a provision in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations legislation that protected the Maine lobster fishery from unfair federal regulation for six years. Since the enactment of this provision, Senator Collins has secured more than $80 million in funding for North Atlantic Right Whale research and monitoring through her role on the Senate Appropriations Committee. This research supports Maine’s lobster industry by improving the quality of the data used to inform federal regulations.

Senator Collins also led efforts to rebuild Maine’s working waterfronts. After back-to-back storms in January 2024 that caused significant damage to Maine’s coast, Senator Collins secured $15 million to help communities recover from coastal infrastructure damage in the Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act. The legislation included $10 million, administered through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, to repair and renovate infrastructure affected by recent storms, and $5 million to establish a new program at the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for working waterfronts.

The announcement came during the week of the fiftieth anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Act—the primary law governing marine fisheries in U.S. federal waters.

USDA launches first-ever Office of Seafood

April 16, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday the creation of its new Office of Seafood, a first-of-its-kind office designed to give commercial fishermen, aquaculture producers, and seafood processors a clearer path to accessing federal programs and resources.

The announcement was made by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R.-Alaska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

The new office will primarily serve as a coordinating body, working across USDA agencies to better integrate fishermen into existing programs while also partnering with the Department of Commerce and other federal agencies. A central piece of its mission will be helping develop the America First Seafood Strategy, an initiative aimed at boosting domestic production, marketing, export, and processing capacity for U.S. seafood.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

To overcome consumer price perceptions, US seafood stakeholders call for health-focused marketing

April 16, 2026 — Though U.S. consumers are increasingly demanding healthy protein options and the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) have recommended people to eat more seafood, price, whether real or perceived, remains a barrier that may impede the extent to which U.S. seafood consumption rates rise.

Nearly 40 percent of Americans are non-seafood consumers, according to FMI – The Food Industry Association’s 2026 Power of Seafood Report. Over half of those shoppers said price is a reason they don’t eat seafood.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

USDA Launches Office of Seafood A Win for America’s Fishermen

April 16, 2026 —  The following was released by the Southern Shrimp Alliance:

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the launch of the USDA Office of Seafood, a priority objective that the Southern Shrimp Alliance and dozens of organizations representing U.S. fisheries have collaborated to pursue for multiple years.

The Chair of the North Carolina Fisheries Association and SSA Board member Brent Fulcher joined Kyle and Tricia Kimball of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association at a roundtable meeting this afternoon in Washington D.C. with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Representative Nick Begich (R-AK), Representative Kat Commack (R-FL), and approximately ten fisheries leaders from across the country ahead of the announcement.

“This is a landmark day for U.S. shrimpers. Like our nation’s farmers, American commercial fishermen are food producers,” said Blake Price, director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Nevertheless, while the USDA offers loans, grants, and marketing programs to food producers, this support is generally not available to fishermen. An Office of Seafood within the USDA is an essential first step in bringing shrimpers into the fold.”

National Fisheries Institute Welcomes Announcement of USDA’s Office of Seafood

April 16, 2026 – The following was released by the National Fisheries Institutes:

From its fundamental role in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and its investment in aquaculture and invasive species protection to its inclusion of fish in nutrition programs, the Department of Agriculture has long supported the production and consumption of commercial seafood.

With today’s announcement of the Office of Seafood, we look forward to expanding that work and developing a fuller partnership with USDA. From bait to plate and pond to processor there are many facets of this industry that can benefit from the Department’s expertise in feeding Americans and assisting American businesses that produce food.  Seafood can have a necessarily complex value chain that is proud to feature iconic American fisheries and globally sourced raw material processed and distributed here in order to provide American families the healthiest animal protein on the planet. 

We thank Secretary Rollins and the Trump Administration for this critical step to improve the health of both Americans and the seafood industry.

Secretary Rollins Announces the Creation of the USDA Office of Seafood

April 15, 2026 — The following was relased by the USDA:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, and Maine Senator Susan Collins announced the creation of the new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Seafood. This first of its kind office will prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers, and processors to access USDA programs.

“President Trump is the first President to recognize fisherman for the essential work they do to sustain our food supply,” said Secretary Rollins. “With the launch of the USDA Office of Seafood, we are honoring decades of hard work on the water and opening the door to new opportunities, stronger support, and a brighter future for the seafood industry. Today’s announcement, in addition to the historic tax cuts and investments in rural America made possible through the priorities and provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts, is truly a new chapter for America’s fishermen.”

“The Department of the Interior is thrilled to support the establishment of the first-ever Seafood Office at the Department of Agriculture – an initiative that puts the people who help feed America first,” said Secretary Burgum. “American fishermen are the backbone of coastal economies and a vital part of our nation’s food security. By improving coordination across agencies, the Seafood Office will ensure these fishermen can fully access the tools and programs they need to thrive.”

“The Trump Administration is committed to supporting American fishermen, strengthening our coastal communities, and ensuring families have access to affordable high-quality American seafood,” said Secretary Lutnick. “When our fishermen win, America wins.”

“Fishing is the very foundation of Maine’s heritage. Today, the seafood industry in our region generates more than $5 billion in income and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, in addition to providing a nutritious food supply, delicious restaurant meals, and sustaining entire coastal communities,” said Senator Collins. “I appreciate that USDA is recognizing our fishermen as farmers of the sea and establishing the Office of Seafood. The creation of this office is a long overdue, essential step to expanding seats at the table for our hardworking fishing families, who are a key piece of our nation’s history and our future as well.”

“Alaska’s fishermen deserve the same federal attention, resources, and risk management tools afforded to America’s incredible farmers,” said Senator Sullivan. “The new USDA Office of Seafood—an action I’ve been strongly advocating for over the past decade—opens the door to that opportunity. This office is going to benefit everybody: all of Alaska’s fishermen, our small businesses, and our many coastal and Interior communities from across the state. I thank Secretary Rollins and Secretary Lutnick for working closely with me and my team over the past year to fully understand the challenges facing our fishermen and coastal communities and for taking meaningful action on their behalf. With this new office, we’re going to build a stronger partnership between USDA, Department of Commerce, the entire Executive Branch, and our fishermen, so they can continue to do what they do best: sustainably harvesting the freshest and healthiest wild seafood in the world.”

“Proud to be part of the launch of the inaugural, first-ever USDA Office of Seafood! Food security is national security which means prioritizing domestic production and strengthening our food supply here at home. From our Florida coasts to communities across the country, we’re cutting red tape, backing our fishermen, and ensuring American seafood competes—and wins—on the world stage. This office will not only elevate and support commercial production, but also advance commonsense conservation so future generations can thrive in this industry. As Chair of the Aquaculture Caucus, I’m grateful for the tenacious leadership driving this effort forward—Secretary Rollins, Secretary Lutnick, Secretary Hassett, Secretary Burgum—and President Trump,” said Representative Cammack.

Fifty years ago this week, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act—the primary law governing marine fisheries in U.S. federal waters—was signed into law, providing the fishing industry with long-term economic stability. However, for years, fishermen across the country have been struggling to navigate programs at USDA that can help support their businesses.

With the creation of the USDA Office of Seafood, the Federal government now enters a new era of seafood policy where American fishermen will be recognized by USDA as a key part of the U.S. food supply.

One of the primary roles of the new USDA Office of Seafood will be coordinating across USDA agencies to ensure fishermen are integrated into USDA programs and working alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce and other Federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.

Today’s action supports USDA’s implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. The USDA Office of Seafood will play an important role in coordinating with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the development of the America First Seafood Strategy to promote production, marketing, sale, and export of U.S. fishery and aquaculture products and strengthen domestic processing capacity.

For additional information, email seafood@usda.gov or visit www.usda.gov/seafood.

NEW YORK: New York governor seeks federal aid for state’s oyster industry

April 7, 2026 — New York Governor Kathy Hochul has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to confirm that a disaster has hit the state’s oyster industry, enabling oystermen to access emergency loans and financial support.

Like their counterparts working in Chesapeake Bay, New York oystermen have been beset by extreme cold weather and icy conditions that have kept them from working for much of the season.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource