Daily Archives: February 11, 2025
DOGE Alaska finds federal grant giving one Alaska tribe $2.4 million to buy king crab, salmon
DOGE Alaska has uncovered a massive federal grant to the Sitka Tribe of Alaska so that its members can buy king crab and king salmon from local fishermen, with the stated priority of buying from commercial fishermen who are also tribal members. That way the money circulated back into the tribe. The $2.4 million grant award came from the Department of Agriculture in a grant program intended to help “socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.” The grant awarded to the Sitka tribe allows 1,000 tribal households the ability to buy king crab, Dungeness crab, shrimp, salmon, and halibut from local commercial fishermen through a contact by the Sitka Tribe. This is not subsistence, and it’s not SNAP benefits (although people can buy king crab with their EBT cards), but is supposed to ensure greater food security for the members of the tribe, by allowing them to get free seafood right off the boats. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:44
Louisiana: Rep. Higgins asks President Trump for seafood tariff
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) has delivered an official letter to President Trump, requesting tariffs and increased trade enforcement on seafood imports. Countries specifically mentioned in the letter include China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, which Higgins says are hampering domestic shrimpers, fishermen, and crawfish producers. He says foreign seafood industries are heavily subsidized and engage in illegal dumping into the United States, artificially driving down prices and disrupting fair market conditions. You can read the letter in full below. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<14:53
Halifax fisherman remembered after boat capsized
A Halifax fisherman is being remembered as one of the good ones. Phil Macinnis was one of the two men who died after the Fortune Pride capsized Friday off Sambro. In a show of support, a GoFundMe campaign has raised thousands of dollars to help his family. On the fundraiser’s page, organizer and best friend Brad Sullivan writes, “one of the hardest things in our fishing industry is losing good men to the sea.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:38
Honesty in seafood labeling law advances in MS for restaurants. Here’s what’s next
Mississippi consumers would know whether their seafood and crawfish are domestic or foreign under a law the House unanimously passed Monday, months after two Biloxi businesses pleaded guilty in a federal case to selling foreign fish as Gulf fresh. The seafood labeling law expands a current state law that applies only to shrimp and crawfish served in restaurants. The proposed law makes it illegal in Mississippi for wholesalers, processors, retailers, restaurants and other food service establishments to represent foreign seafood and crawfish as domestic, either verbally or in writing. If the measure becomes law, Mississippi would join Louisiana and Alabama in requiring that seafood be labeled. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:36
Amid ongoing trade tensions, there’s still no timeline on N.L.’s Boston trade office
A new trade office recently announced by Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey to strengthen commercial relations with New England still isn’t off the ground, as a trade war looms with the United States. Furey announced in September that the provincial government would open a trade office in Boston, located inside the city’s Canadian consulate. Last week, Fisheries Minister Gerry Byrne said the Boston office will play a key role in the province’s navigation of the current economic climate. “One of the key roles of the Boston office [is to] constantly, constantly engage U.S. consumers, U.S. business groups, U.S. congressmen, [U.S.] influencers … to get them to tell the White House that Trump’s decisions are hurting Americans,” Byrne said, appearing on a segment of VOCM’s Open Line. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:29
Two more NJ Offshore Wind Setbacks push wind further away from the Jersey Shore
Offshore wind, one of the most debated topics along the Jersey Shore in 2024, is now facing significant challenges as the economic landscape grows more difficult and political uncertainty mounts. Following the results of the November 5 election and a continued challenge to the economics of offshore wind, a flurry of changes has emerged, signaling a shift in momentum for offshore wind projects in the state. Offshore wind, one of the most debated topics along the Jersey Shore in 2024, is now facing significant challenges as the economic landscape grows more difficult and political uncertainty mounts. Following the results of the November 5 election and a continued challenge to the economics of offshore wind, a flurry of changes has emerged, signaling a shift in momentum for offshore wind projects in the state. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:44
