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1 week ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
The debate over North Carolina’s blue crab fishery is heating up as state regulators float new restrictions to stem what they call a long-developing population decline. But commercial crabbers say that the state’s data is outdated and doesn’t reflect what they’re seeing on the water. At the center of the issue is a proposed revision to the state’s Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan.
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1 week ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
Massachusetts is calling on federal regulators to act swiftly to ensure the 2025 commercial groundfish season opens on time. On April 15, Tom O’Shea, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging immediate regulatory action to authorize the May 1 start date.
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1 week ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
California’s commercial salmon fishing season has been canceled for the third consecutive year, marking an unprecedented halt in the state’s salmon industry. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) voted on April 15, 2025, to extend the closure through the end of the year, citing critically low numbers of fall-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River.
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1 week ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the fishing industry and beyond, recent layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are raising alarms about the future of U.S. fisheries and the broader maritime community. Experts and industry leaders warn about the critical infrastructure needed to protect coastal communities.
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1 week ago | 
savingseafood.org | Carli Stewart
April 15, 2025 — To safeguard the future of the Bay State’s commercial fishing sector, Massachusetts officially convened its first Commercial Fisheries Commission (CFC) meeting on April 8, 2025, setting the stage for a new era of collaboration and state-level advocacy for the seafood industry.
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1 week ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
In 1973, Alaska passed one of the most consequential laws for its coastal economy, the Limited Entry Act. It was born in a time of overcapacity and industry collapse. The law was designed to safeguard the long-term health of Alaska’s fisheries while ensuring that Alaskans had a fair shot at staying in the game. But fifty years later, the ripple effects of limited entry are still being felt, especially in the rural communities that depend on commercial fishing for cultural and economic survival.
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1 week ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
To safeguard the future of the Bay State’s commercial fishing sector, Massachusetts officially convened its first Commercial Fisheries Commission (CFC) meeting on April 8, 2025, setting the stage for a new era of collaboration and state-level advocacy for the seafood industry. Born out of legislation passed in 2022, the CFC is designed to strengthen communication between commercial fishing stakeholders and state agencies while shaping strategies to promote long-term sustainability.
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2 weeks ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
Despite mounting public pressure and a state labeling law enacted last year, shrimp mislabeling remains rampant in Gulf Shores, Alabama. A new investigation from SeaD Consulting reveals that 43 percent of sampled restaurants are still serving imported, farm-raised shrimp while marketing it as Gulf wild-caught.
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3 weeks ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
Maine’s lobstermen and commercial fishermen are bracing for economic fallout as President Donald Trump moves forward with tariffs on Canadian imports, a decision that has sparked bipartisan opposition in the Senate. While the broader economic implications are still unfolding, many in the industry fear that the direct impact on trade and pricing will be substantial.
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3 weeks ago | 
nationalfisherman.com | Carli Stewart
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has announced a preseason all-gear catch limit of 133,500 treaty Chinook salmon for Southeast Alaska in 2025, as per the Pacific Salmon Treaty provisions. ADF&G has set a target of 130,850 Chinook salmon, incorporating a 2 percent reduction from the treaty catch limit to serve as a buffer against exceeding the all-gear limit and triggering payback provisions.
