Saving Seafood

USDA to purchase USD 100 million worth of Alaska pollock

August 6, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to buy USD 100 million (EUR 86.4 million) worth of Alaska pollock and USD 20 million (EUR 17.3 million) of catfish as part of a bulk purchase of food products for food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country.

According to the Genuine Association of Pollock Producers, the USDA has already spent nearly USD 60 million (EUR 52 million) on Alaska pollock products in fiscal year 2025, making it the fourth biggest year of USDA pollock purchases to date. The proposed USD 100 million would far outpace the previous record for USDA pollock purchases, when the department spent USD 76.3 million (EUR 65.9 million) in fiscal year 2019.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Senate bill would create a seafood industry liaison within USDA

July 14, 2025 — The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved legislation that would create a new seafood industry liaison position within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

On 10 July, senators on the committee voted unanimously in favor of the 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which provides annual funding and guidance for the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The legislation included several seafood and aquaculture appropriations, most notably establishing a new seafood representative within the USDA.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Channel Fish Processing wins USD 16.6 million in USDA contracts

July 11, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded USD 18.9 million (EUR 16.2 million) in contracts to seafood suppliers Channel Fish Processing and Pier Fish Co., with the vast bulk of the money going to the former.

Braintree, Massachusetts-based Channel Fish was awarded USD 16.6 million (EUR 14.2 million) for three contracts: USD 14.5 million (EUR 12.4 million) for 60,300 cases of frozen Atlantic pollock fillets, USD 1.6 million (EUR 1.4 million) for 3,600 cases of frozen haddock fillets, and USD 559,323 (EUR 478,310) for 1,800 cases of frozen ocean perch fillets.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Channel Fish, Trident Seafoods win latest USDA contracts for pollock, haddock

June 9, 2025 — U.S. seafood suppliers Trident Seafoods and Channel Fish Processing have won new contracts for fish products from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) worth a total of nearly USD 2 million (EUR 1.8 million).

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods was awarded USD 530,556 (EUR 465,627) to supply 228,000 lbs of frozen pollock fish sticks and fillets, while Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Channel Fish Processing was awarded USD 1.1 million (EUR 952,791) to supply 456,000 lbs of frozen pollock fish sticks and fillets.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

USDA buys $16M of Oregon shrimp as fleet faces setbacks

June 4, 2025 — The Oregon pink shrimp industry is getting a much-needed boost from the federal government this spring after another round of international trade disruptions threatened to sideline the start of the 2025 season.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will purchase $16 million worth of Oregon pink shrimp through a program aimed at stabilizing domestic food producers during economic hardship, according to an article by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB).

The federal buy comes after processors along the Oregon Coast opted to delay the start of the Pacific pink shrimp season in early April, pushing back operations by at least two weeks due to ongoing uncertainty in overseas markets.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

USDA to buy USD 20 million worth of Atlantic groundfish

May 28, 2025 —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled plans to buy USD 20 million (EUR 17.7 million) worth of Atlantic groundfish as part of a bulk purchase of fresh food to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs.

“These purchases deliver healthy, nutritious, American commodities to individuals and families in need. At a time when President Trump and his cabinet are Making America Healthy Again, USDA is proud to play a role in supporting those in need by providing access to the safest and highest-quality fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood in the world,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

USDA awards USD 2.3 million in pollock contracts, seeks more bids on pollock, salmon

May 12, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded USD 2.3 million (EUR 2 million) in contracts for Alaska pollock, while asking for additional bids on contracts to provide millions of dollars’ worth of pollock and salmon.

The USDA awarded two contracts for 1,026,000 pounds of Alaska pollock products, with the largest, worth USD 1.45 million (EUR 1.3 million), going to Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Channel Fish. Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods was awarded USD 829,996 (EUR 739,000) to supply frozen pollock sticks and nuggets.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US federal funding cuts eliminating traditionally steady purchases of seafood

April 9, 2025 — Massive funding cuts that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has made to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Program are cutting off traditionally reliable buyers of the nation’s seafood.

The LFPA cuts amount to an estimated USD 1.13 billion (EUR 1 billion) and are hampering the ability of food banks across the nation to feed local populations with safe, fresh food options, including local seafood.

Read the full article at SeadfoodSource

Bids due 7 April for USD 50 million USDA pollock contract

March 31, 2025 — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking for bids on Alaska pollock for domestic food distribution programs as part of up to USD 50 million (EUR 46 million) the agency said it would spend on the fish.

Suppliers that want to bid on the contracts for 1 million pounds of pollock fillets, nuggets, and sticks must submit bids by 7 April 2025. Deliveries will be made between 16 May and 31 July 2025.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource