Daily Archives: June 5, 2025
Maine lobster industry urges Trump to deliver on pledge to ease rules
Members of Maine’s fishing community are calling on President Donald Trump to change policies they say are harming the state’s lobstermen. “The Maine lobster fishery has, unfortunately, been no stranger to federal regulatory abuse,” Patrice McCarron, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, wrote in a recent letter to Trump. “MLA welcomes the policy changes. Since passing an executive order in April to support the U.S. seafood industry, Trump has been signaling that he intends to change commercial fishing and lobstering regulations. It’s unclear, though, exactly what Trump wants to address and whether any of those rules could change things for Maine fishermen. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:14
Ranking Member Huffman, Reps. Moylan, Case Reintroduce Bipartisan Magnuson-Stevens Update to Safeguard America’s Fisheries
To kick off World Ocean Month, House Natural Resources Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. James Moylan (R-Guam), and Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) have reintroduced the Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act. This bipartisan legislation would update and reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA)—the cornerstone law guiding federal fisheries management and conservation that has helped make the U.S. a global leader in sustainable fisheries. The reintroduction of this legislation reflects the culmination of a years-long, nationwide stakeholder engagement effort led by Ranking Member Huffman. From listening sessions across coastal communities to the release of a discussion draft for public comment, this inclusive process centered science, transparency, and real-world input from those most connected to America’s oceans and fisheries. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:45
MEDIA RELEASE: Processing Companies Shipping Out Crab at Plant Workers’ Expense
FFAW-Unifor is sounding the alarm on the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) for prioritizing the export of massive quantities of snow crab over the livelihoods of plant workers in Newfoundland and Labrador. Despite stable crab landings, many processing plants are operating at historically low capacities, leaving workers with less than half their usual hours during the peak crab season. FFAW-Unifor has received reports from several trusted individuals that companies such as Quinlan Brothers and Ocean Choice International are trucking significant volumes of snow crab out of the province, undermining local processing jobs. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:30What’s next for northern cod? A year after moratorium lifted, NL’s fishing industry calling for larger quotas
The new management plan for northern cod will soon be announced and the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) wants to see a bigger quota for Newfoundland and Labrador’s inshore fleet. While the union is asking for a nearly doubled quota, the Atlantic Groundfish Council, which represents fish processors, feels a quota that’s two-and-a-half times larger would be a conservative measure. In a press release issued on Wednesday, June 4, the union reported it has submitted its recommendations to the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans and is urging DFO Minister Joanne Thompson who is an MP from Newfoundland and Labrador, to prioritize the interests of the province’s inshore harvesters and communities that economically rely on the fishery. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:43
Seafood industry raises alarms about foreign subsidies
On Wednesday, Russia was accused of subsidizing their seafood industry and exporting farm-raised, mislabeled salmon – an accusation levied by other seafood producers against countries such as India, Vietnam, and China. The accusation came at Wednesday’s meeting of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. The meeting was held in response to an executive order issued in April by President Donald Trump titled Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness. “In the case of Russia, for instance, not only are they flooding global markets with hatchery-produced salmon, but it is also often mislabeled,” Jamie O’Connor, deputy executive director of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, told the committee. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:43
