Trump Nominates Neil Jacobs to Lead NOAA

President Donald Trump nominated Neil Jacobs to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The nomination, now officially submitted to the US Senate, paves the way for Jacobs to return to the helm of NOAA, a role he held on an acting basis during Trump’s first term.

Since Trump's return to office, the future of NOAA has been a hot-button topic. Project 2025, a policy roadmap frequently linked to the Trump administration, calls for the breakup of NOAA, while another Republican proposal pushes to make NOAA a standalone agency, as the...

Lobster Size Rule Reversed: Industry Concerns Prompt ASMFC to Repeal Gauge Increase

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) repealed a controversial proposal to increase the minimum catch size limits for lobsters in the Gulf of Maine.

The ASMFC said its decision stems from “fervent industry concerns about the potential economic impacts” of the increased minimum gauge size in the Gulf of Maine and possible trade issues with Canada.

The rule was set to go into effect on July 1, 2025.

“Rolling back resiliency measures is not at all what I wanted to have happened. After multiple zone...

Red Lobster Engages Middle School Students with New Ocean Sustainability Challenge

National seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster recently announced the launch of its new program, the Red Lobster Ocean Sustainability Challenge.

The initiative, which begins on February 5, invites teams of middle schoolers across the United States (with up to five people) to submit three-minute video presentations of innovative solutions that improve the world’s oceans and waterways.

The program aligns with Red Lobster’s Seafood with Standards initiative, which outlines the company’s commitment to protecting the ocean and sourcing foods that are high-quality, traceable, and sustainable...

What Trump Tariffs Mean for Food and Agriculture Trade

US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China.

Tariffs for Canada and China are in effect as of February 4, while the tariffs on Mexico have been delayed for one month following negotiations with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who agreed to send 10,000 members of her country’s national guard to the border to address drug trafficking... 

Commerce Nominee Lutnick Pledges to Keep NOAA Intact

President Donald Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary said he would not attempt to dismantle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during his confirmation hearing last week.

The Hill reported that Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) asked Lutnick if he wanted to break up NOAA, which falls under the Commerce Department.

“I have no interest in separating it. That is not on my agenda,” Lutnick said. 

Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) asked Lutnick a similar question. Lutnick answered “no” when asked about NOAA’s future in relation to the...

Genetic Testing Uncovers Shrimp Fraud in New Orleans Before Super Bowl LIX

Super Bowl fans may be considering the odds of a Chief’s three-peat prior to kick off this Sunday, but thanks to SEAD (Seafood Development) Consulting, they’ll know for sure where to find authentic Gulf shrimp while visiting New Orleans. 

SEAD has conducted a study of Gulf states seafood restaurants to verify the “Gulf” or “authentic” shrimp advertised on menus is, actually, wild Gulf of Mexico shrimp. Their results have been eye-opening. As reported in Expana, SEAD used mobile genetic testing to verify ...

Photo Courtesy of SEAD

The California Hatcheries That Are Helping Oysters Pass the Acid Test

Enjoyed at raw bars across the world with a squeeze of lemon, nearly every farmed oyster starts its journey the same way: in a hatchery.

“When hatcheries make baby oysters they start with the moms and pops and they end up with billions of tiny, microscopic oyster larvae that hang out in suspension for a couple of weeks in the seawater, feeding on phytoplankton,” explains Gary Fleener, a scientist-turned-director at Hog Island Oyster Co. Based in California, Hog Island is one of the largest oyster businesses in...

The Winding Glass: Importers to Face $79 Million in Fresh Seafood Taxes Over the Next 90 Days

The US has ignited a unilateral trade war with Canada and Mexico this week. It will have an immediate impact on fresh seafood prices and availability, hitting retailers, wholesalers, and distributors. Having worked with Canadian fisheries for 40 years, I wanted to examine how deeply Canadian fresh imports are embedded in the US supply chain.

To conduct our analysis, we looked at the actual import figures in 2024 for the months of February, March, and April...

Trump’s Political Appointments: What They Mean for Commodity Markets

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in for this second term as US President. JD Vance also took the oath of office to become the 47th Vice President.

The new President and his political appointments have dotted headlines in the agricultural commodity space and beyond–grabbing the attention of individuals worldwide. More importantly, the people Trump is bringing aboard to lead, regulate, or deregulate the country’s industries will carry with them implications for domestic and international commodity markets...

Body Recovered from Sunken Scallop Boat Off Maine Coast Was Father Chester Barrett

The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) released a bulletin today confirming the identity of the recovered body from the fishing vessel Sudden Impact, which sunk off the coast of Maine in mid-January.

Per the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the body recovered from the wreckage on Sunday, February 2 was confirmed to be Chester “Chet” Barrett of South Addison.

The search for Barrett and his son, Aaron, began on January 19, after the two men failed to return home from a fishing trip the day...

Trudeau: Trump Will Pause Tariffs on Canada for 30 Days

As of Monday evening, US President Trump will postpone 25% tariffs on Canada, Reuters reported after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote an X post about the matter.

After the day's second conversation with Trump, Trudeau wrote:

"I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting..."

New Bedford Mayor Pushes to Repeal ASMFC’s Lobster Catch Size Restrictions

In a letter yesterday to Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Executive Director Robert Beal, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell advocated for the repeal of Addendum 27 (XXVII) to the ASMFC’s lobster fishery management plan.

According to the addendum—which will increase the minimum catch size for lobsters effective July 2025—US lobstermen will soon be limited in the size of lobsters they can catch, thereby impacting total haul sizes. Meanwhile, Canadian lobstermen will continue harvesting and selling the same sized lobsters in the US market...

Japan: 88% of Supermarkets and Consumer Co-ops Raise Surimi Product Prices

According to a survey on sales trends of surimi products conducted by the Minato Shimbun at the beginning of the year, targeting 25 major supermarkets and cooperatives nationwide, when asked about this year's price policy for fish paste products, amid the continued rise in costs such as labor and logistics for manufacturers, 22 of the 25 retailers that responded, or 88%, indicated their intention to either raise prices or raise prices effectively due to changes in specifications or both...

Atlantic Sapphire to Rent-Out Danish Facility; Feed Costs Impacted by Trump’s Tariffs

Land-based salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire announced that it has entered into a short-term lease agreement with Maiken Foods AS to rent out its Danish facility.

Maiken will facilitate a pilot for its fish farming solution as its time as a tenant. During the lease period, Maiken will have a purchase option for the entity which will allow the company to create a large-scale land-based salmon farming operation.

In 2021, Atlantic Sapphire was hit with a major fire at its...

Steakholder Foods Shares Letter from CEO Arik Kaufman

Dear Shareholders,

As we commence 2025, I am writing to share our progress during what was both a demanding and transformative year for Steakholder Foods. Despite challenging local circumstances and global market uncertainties, we have achieved significant milestones in our commercialization journey and laid important groundwork for our future growth.

Commercial Progress

I am pleased to report that we have made substantial progress in our commercialization strategy. We secured our first purchase order from Bondor Foods for our SH(TM) -- Fish premix blends in September, followed by an order from Wyler Farm...

Trump Slaps Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China: Seafood Industry Braces for Impact, Latest Updates

After weeks of nonstop speculation, the White House confirmed that President Donald Trump would be implementing tariffs on various US trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and China.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reports on January 31 that Trump will implement 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and a 10% duty on China starting on February 1.

NBC News reported that the details of how tariffs will be distributed remained unclear, but the plan will be available for public inspection on February 1. No comments were...

ANALYSIS: 2025 Copper River Sockeye; Projected Strong Returns, Timing Key for Pricing

With 2025 projections now available for Copper River and Prince William Sound (PWS), many wild salmon market participants are expressing cautious optimism for the upcoming sockeye season in the region. While it may not feel imminent, May is only a few months away, marking the start of the 2025 wild Alaskan salmon season, with Copper River leading the way.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has just released its 2025 forecast, indicating that sockeye returns...