Saving Seafood

VIRGINIA: Virginia will remain in ASMFC as bill to withdraw was continued to 2027

February 26, 2026 — Virginia State Senate Bill (SB) 414, calling for the state to “renounce and withdraw” from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Compact, has stalled in the Va. Department of Finance and Appropriations Committee.

The committee voted 15-0 on Feb. 11 to “continue (the bill) to the 2027” legislature. The vote came on the heels of a revealing costly fiscal impact study by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

By leaving ASMFC, the study showed Va. would lose $842,866 in federal grant funds in the FY 2028 budget and that over four years the added cost for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) would total $1,445,748.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

VIRGINIA: Pause on Virginia offshore wind farm cost Dominion more than $200M — but turbines will power up soon

February 25, 2026 — The Trump administration’s attempt to stop Dominion Energy from building its wind farm off the Virginia Beach coast cost the utility $228 million, company executives told shareholders this week.

Shortly before Christmas, the U.S. Interior Department issued a stop-work order for the project and four others along the East Coast. Government officials claimed the wind farms would harm national security, but declined to provide more details.

Dominion sued and last month, a federal judge in Norfolk ruled in favor of the company, saying the administration did not sufficiently explain purported security threats. The case is still pending, but Dominion was allowed to restart construction.

During the nearly month-long stoppage, Dominion racked up expenses from equipment storage, contractual penalties, an idle workforce and delays in using time-sensitive vessels.

Read the full article at WMRA

Menhaden Research Gets Federal Boost

February 20, 2026 — President Donald Trump signed a federal spending package in January that includes two-point-five million dollars for menhaden research, ending a two-year wait for state funding. Businesses, scientists, and anglers support the study, saying solid data is needed before imposing limits. Some environmental advocates however, argue reductions should happen now, but regulators are holding off pending the research. We reached out to Omega Protein for comment, and they told us that “Ocean Harvesters, headquartered locally in Reedville, has a long track record of supporting rigorous, independent science to better understand Atlantic menhaden and the broader Bay ecosystem. The Company believes that any funding for menhaden projects at NOAA-Fisheries is in good hands.”

Read the full article at Middle Neck News

VIRGINIA: First production turbine installed at Virginia offshore wind farm

February 4, 2026 — The first production wind turbine for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project was installed Jan. 27, less than two weeks after developer Dominion Energy won a temporary injunction against the Trump administration’s stop-work order.

Dominion’s 472’x184’ wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Charybdis, built at Seatrium’s AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, is the first Jones Act-compliant WTIV under the U.S. flag. After the project is about 71% completed and is expected to be sending power to the regional grid in the first quarter of 2026, according to Dominion.

In a Jan. 30 update Dominion reported that all 176 monopiles have been installed on the lease for the 2.6-gigawatt rated project, along with as 119 transition and 57 awaiting installation.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Patrick Keliher Named 2025 Captain David H. Hart Award Recipient

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

At its Winter Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) presented Patrick Keliher, former Commissioner with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (ME DMR), the Captain David H. Hart Award for 2025 for his longstanding contributions to and exceptional leadership towards the sustainable management of marine resources along the Eastern Seaboard.

Since becoming Commissioner with ME DMR and Administrative Commissioner to the ASMFC in 2012, Pat has worked tirelessly to support marine fisheries stakeholders, both in Maine and along the Atlantic coast. His unwavering work ethic extended well beyond the Commission table. He is a consummate professional – always prepared and expertly engaged in every setting with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach. This approach earned him the respect of all those who have worked with him.

From 2017 – 2023, Pat served in a leadership position with the Commission, helping address a wide range of issues. One of the most unique and challenging times during his tenure was guiding the Commission through the pandemic. This was a time that truly reflected Pat’s steady leadership and deep commitment to the Commission. Throughout that period, he stayed closely connected with staff and fellow Commissioners, oversaw a seamless transition to virtual meetings, and consistently made decisions with the safety of Commissioners and staff in mind. Other notable accomplishments during this time include quick action by the states to end overfishing of Atlantic striped bass and implementation of ecological reference points to manage Atlantic menhaden.
On the home front, Pat has been credited with strengthening and sustaining Maine’s commercial fisheries through effective management, responsible policy, and improved enforcement. His collaborative effort to secure a six-year pause on federal whale regulations and to provide millions in federal funds for marine mammal research has benefited both Maine’s lobster industry and the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. During his tenure, DMR implemented enhanced management and enforcement measures to protect Maine’s valuable elver resource and fishery. His work to secure funding and establish strategic partnerships was instrumental in efforts to restore access to habitat for Maine’s sea-run fish species. Pat also oversaw the administration of state funding that has protected many vital working waterfront properties, and federal funds that provided much needed direct relief to industry and investments in critical infrastructure.
“I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of this honor,” said Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson. “Throughout his career, Pat has demonstrated a dedication to science-based decisions, effective policy, and strong enforcement necessary to protect our valuable marine resources and industries.”
“Pat’s strong advocacy for Maine’s marine resources and fisheries was exceeded only by his commitment to the people who make their living on the water,” said Maine Governor Janet Mills. “Maine’s coastal economy, environment, and communities are stronger because of his leadership, and this award reflects his many career accomplishments.”
Prior to joining DMR, Pat served as Executive Director of the Atlantic Salmon Commission and Executive Director of the New England States of the Coastal Conservation Association, Greater New England.
The Commission instituted the Hart Award in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts to improve Atlantic coast marine fisheries. The Hart Award is named for one of the Commission’s longest serving members, who dedicated himself to the advancement and protection of marine fishery resources, Captain David H. Hart, from the State of New Jersey.

Dominion Energy and Vineyard Wind Reach Milestones as Work Resumes

February 2, 2026 — Within days of resuming work at Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project and Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind 1, both projects have marked key milestones. The projects argued they were at critical stages of construction in court and received preliminary injunctions to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing a stop-work order.

Dominion Energy provided a detailed update on the status of its project, reporting it has reached 71 percent completion and, critically, the first wind turbine generation was installed in January. The company’s massive wind turbine installation vessel, Charybdis (the only U.S.-flagged WTIV vessel), also began loading in December after a lengthy commissioning process and is deployed for the installations.

The presentation outlines that the project remains on track to generate its first power this quarter. Although after the delays due to the stop-work order from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, they have rescheduled completion to early 2027.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

MARYLAND: Maryland oyster hatchery faces federal funding cut

January 29, 2026 — In a potentially serious blow to oyster restoration efforts in Maryland, the Trump administration has slashed federal funding that supports the operation of the state-run oyster hatchery on the Eastern Shore.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is cutting nearly in half the $740,000 grant it has provided annually for spawning and rearing oysters at the Horn Point laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).

The cut comes on the heels of the successful conclusion of a more than decade-long campaign to restore oysters in 10 Chesapeake Bay tributaries in Maryland and Virginia — an effort the state-federal Chesapeake Bay Program is now looking to expand. It also comes as Congress, in a rare show of bipartisanship, has increased rather than cut federal funding for Bay oyster restoration efforts.

The Horn Point hatchery, one of the largest on the East Coast, has played a central role in the restoration of oyster reefs in Maryland’s five tributaries. Its annual output of oyster larvae since 2020 has ranged from 400 million to nearly 2 billion.

The hatchery sells some of those larvae to private oyster farmers, but three-quarters of the newly spawned bivalves are set or attached to oyster shells and planted on the bottom of Bay tributaries targeted by the state for restoration.

Read the full article at the Bay Journal

VIRGINIA: Kiggans, Wittman seek answers after federal pause of offshore wind projects

January 29, 2026 — Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia Beach and Rob Wittman of Westmoreland joined seven other members of Congress in pressing the administration of President Donald Trump for answers after a federal decision to pause offshore wind development, including Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers called for greater transparency around the 90-day halt, which the Department of Interior said was prompted by national security concerns detailed in confidential reports.

“We respectfully request additional information on the analysis underlying the recent decision, including how radar interference, environmental tradeoffs, long-term subsidy exposure, workforce impacts, and broader national security considerations were assessed,” the letter read.

Read the full article at Virginia Mercury

VIRGINIA: First Towers and Turbines Installing for Virginia Offshore Wind Farm

January 23, 2026 — Just days after a U.S. District Court judge agreed to issue a temporary injunction to let work resume on Virginia’s offshore wind farm, work is underway with the first towers and wind turbines being installed. Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is the largest project in the United States and is using the only U.S.-built wind turbine installation vessel.

Virginia’s Senator Tim Kaine reported the process on January 21 after having toured the Portsmouth Marine Terminal and received an update on the progress made on the wind farm project. He told local news outlet WAVY, “Number one of 176” had been installed.

The development is being hailed as a milestone on the project, which was expected to generate its first power early this year. It will continue commissioning in 2026 and will reach a rated capacity of 2.6 GW when finished. It is located at least 30 miles east of Virginia Beach.

Read the full article at the Maritime Executive

Federal judge rules Dominion Energy can resume construction on Virginia Beach offshore wind farm

January 20, 2026 — A judge in Norfolk on Friday ruled in favor of Dominion Energy, allowing the utility to restart construction on its offshore wind project after the federal government halted it late last year.

The Trump administration cited recently uncovered risks to national security when it issued a 90-day stop-work order on Dec. 22.

But U.S. District Court Judge Jamar Walker said the order, which applied to five wind projects along the East Coast, did not outline how construction on the Virginia project specifically poses a risk to national security.

He said an extended pause on the project would cause irreparable harm to Dominion, which says it’s losing $5 million per day during the stoppage.

Walker granted Dominion a preliminary injunction, which allows the company to resume construction while the case proceeds in court.

The $11 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, or CVOW, stretches about 27 to 44 miles off the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. It’s expected to start delivering electricity to the grid soon and finish construction later this year. Dominion already spent $9 billion on the project, which would become the nation’s largest commercial offshore wind farm.

“Our team will now focus on safely restarting work to ensure CVOW begins delivery of critical energy in just weeks,” the utility said in a statement following the ruling. “While our legal challenge proceeds, we will continue seeking a durable resolution of this matter through cooperation with the federal government.”

Read the full article at WHRO