Nathan Strout

The head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said he is confident the agency is back on track in conducting fisheries stock surveys following criticism from some U.S. lawmakers.

Reduced surveys in recent years “were compounded by issues like Covid and workforce,” NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad told lawmakers in a July budget hearing.

“I’m confident that we’re on a much better track now than we

A group of U.S. lawmakers are continuing their campaign to ensure the aquaculture industry is getting adequate support and fair treatment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Last week, U.S. Representative Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey) introduced the Supporting Equity for Aquaculture and Seafood (SEAS) Act, which would require the USDA to ensure it provides “fair funding levels” to aquaculture producers in its program. The

NOAA Fisheries is preparing to issue a contract worth up to USD 74.5 million (EUR 68.1 million) for support for its Office of Habitat Conservation, which oversees NOAA’s efforts to conserve habitat for managed fisheries and restore fisheries impacted by oil spills.

Under the solicitation, a contractor would oversee some of the office’s core responsibilities and manage the agency’s preparations for an oil spill on the scale of

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced USD 50 million (EUR 46 million) in funding for projects designed to improve six national marine sanctuaries.

The funding will be used to expand and upgrade facilities at the sanctuaries, making them more climate resilient and expand their capacity for research and conservation activities.

“This investment in the future of national marine sanctuaries could not have come at a better

South Bend Products, based in South Bend, Washington, U.S.A., has been fined USD 33,000 (EUR 30,000) for dozens of wastewater violations by the U.S. State of Washington’s Department of Ecology.

South Bend Products, part of the Northern Fish Products company that runs a handful of seafood businesses in the state, is permitted to discharge wastewater from its operation into the Willapa River within certain parameters. In reviewing the

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has announced two competitive funding opportunities for new fish passage projects with a total of USD 260 million (EUR 236 million) up for grabs.

“Fish are essential to the culture, economy, and way of life of so many communities and tribes. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re going to help local and tribal communities restore passage and build capacity

If U.S. lawmakers have their way, foreign laborers would be able to fly directly to Hawaii to participate in the longline tuna industry instead of boarding vessels in American Samoa or Mexico.

Since 2004, the roughly 700 foreign laborers who work in Hawaii’s longline tuna fishery have existed in a legal loophole. While the workers are allowed to live and work on the longline vessels, they are ineligible for visas and are technically barred

The Biden administration is looking for input on a new National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, which will build on the Ocean Climate Action Plan released in March.

According to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the national strategy will guide how the federal government “can best advance sustainable management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and ecosystems of the United States.”

NOAA Fisheries has proposed designating critical habitat areas for endangered Rice’s whales and green sea turtles as part of its efforts to ensure the species’ survival.

The Rice’s whale critical habitat proposal is part of a settlement between NOAA and conservation groups Healthy Gulf and the Natural Resources Defense Council, which sued the government for failing to designate critical habitat for the whales within the time