West Coast Fishing Communities Face Historic Threat From Super El Niño

The West Coast is bracing for what forecasters say could be one of the strongest El Niño events in recorded history, with Pacific Ocean temperatures off Washington and Oregon already running well above normal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported soaring sea surface temperatures — already twice the 0.5-degree Celsius threshold that triggers an official El Niño declaration — and Ocean Conservancy experts warn the US is dangerously underprepared for what could follow.

Marine heatwaves that accompany Super El Niños suppress ocean nutrients, allow toxic algae to flourish...

USDA Announces $76.5 Million Food Purchase, Including $25 Million for Atlantic Groundfish and Catfish

The US Department of Agriculture announced it will purchase up to $76.5 million in agricultural commodities from American farmers and producers for distribution to food banks and nutrition assistance programs, including $25 million earmarked for seafood

The purchases are made under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935, a permanently authorized federal program that funds surplus commodity purchases for domestic food assistance programs, including school nutrition and food banks. The full commodity breakdown is as follows...

Winding Glass: Section 301 Tariffs Set to Permanently Twist Seafood Trade

The recent headline that section 301 seafood tariffs will reach $2.9 billion does not tell the industry story. The headline number is the result of an 11.4% blended tariff calculation applied to the value of goods shipped by 60 targeted countries to the US in 2025. That is one result of the Section 301 forced-labor duties proposed by the US Trade Representative on June 2. It is more than the roughly $2.2 billion importers paid last year, most of it under the IEEPA tariffs the Supreme...

Alaska’s Gubernatorial Candidates Focus on Trawl Behavior While Trawl Allies Fire Back in Radio Ads

The governor’s race in Alaska to replace termed-out Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy now includes 18 candidates, many of whom have found a common criticism against the mostly Seattle-based fleet of groundfish trawlers and their bycatch of salmon, crab, and other non-targeted species. 

Despite the primacy of the seafood industry in Alaska's economy, most political candidates have been less than up to date on the intricacies of fisheries management or policies. Mary Peltola’s campaign for Don Young’s House seat changed all that when...

Spex Flex: Pacific Fishery Management Council Faces Uncertainty Brought by Climate Change — Part 2

The concept of flexibility has been discussed in the Council process since its beginning, but the “spex flex” idea arose from the drastic cuts in canary, shortspine, and quillback mentioned above, as well as from existing initiatives coming together in the spring of 2025.  

Several ideas for increasing flexibility had been circulating in the Council process. In March, the Council was discussing an adaptive management project when Executive Director Merrick Burden noted that although the concept had originally focused on climate as the driver of change...

NPFMC Addresses Bering Sea Chum Salmon Bycatch in Groundfish Fisheries This Week

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be discussed by members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) this week. The DEIS addresses four alternatives to manage chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. 

The alternatives start with “no action,” which would keep management of chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea at the status quo.

Alternative 2 provides an overall chum salmon cap that would function as a hard cap for each pollock B season. If the overall cap is met, pollock fishing must... 

Twin Comebacks: Yelloweye Rockfish Rebound Mirrors Salmon’s Return on the Klamath

Two decades of patience, partnership, and persistence are paying off for West Coast fisheries. As salmon once again surge up the Klamath River following landmark dam removals, another species has completed its own long road to recovery offshore: the yelloweye rockfish.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council this week declared yelloweye rockfish rebuilt, marking the final chapter in one of the most significant – and toughest – fishery recovery efforts in U.S. history. The announcement means every groundfish species once considered overfished on the West Coast has now been rebuilt...

DFO Enforcement Roundup: Snow Crab, Lobster, and Groundfish Violations Highlight Busy Start to July

Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has released a series of enforcement updates this month, covering incidents from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The actions span illegal snow crab offloading, lobster violations, groundfish monitoring failures, and an earlier elver smuggling conviction.

860 Pounds of Snow Crab Intercepted in Newfoundland

On July 1, fishery officers from the Springdale Detachment in Newfoundland and Labrador intercepted a fishing vessel returning to port in the Triton area carrying approximately 860 pounds...

West Coast Processors Partner on Electronic Monitoring Pilot to Cut Compliance Costs

The West Coast Seafood Processors Association has partnered with AIS Inc. on a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation-funded project to test electronic monitoring systems at processing facilities, potentially reducing the "significant cost drivers" associated with current 100% shoreside monitoring requirements.

The pilot will deploy camera systems, AI-assisted species identification, and automated data capture at participating groundfish and Pacific hake processing plants in Washington, Oregon, and California.

"For processors, monitoring isn't optional—we're effectively operating under 200% monitoring in the groundfish fishery...

Spex Flex: Pacific Fishery Management Council Faces Uncertainty Brought by Climate Change — Part 3

At the same meeting, the Council added an emergency agenda item to consider a change in the 2026 harvest specifications for canary rockfish, shortspine thornyhead, and petrale sole.  

The reduced harvest specifications for these species had led to unusually negative impacts on fishing communities and businesses. At the same time, industry representatives reported that on-the-water observations were not matching the results of the 2023 stock assessments, which were used to set the 2025-26 harvest specifications and management measures...

Frank O’Hara III Takes Helm at Wild Alaska Sole Association

The Board of the Wild Alaska Sole Association (WASA) elected Frank O’Hara III as the group’s new president, it announced on February 18.

Currently, O’Hara serves as the Executive Vice President of the fishing company O’Hara Corporation, which harvests flatfish and other groundfish species in Alaska’s Bering Sea. He will succeed Jim Johnson of North Star Fishing Company, who served as President of WASA since it was created in 2023.

“I’m looking forward to working with WASA and growing markets for our Wild Alaska Sole...

Arctic Fisheries Secures Strategic Investment from SNH Capital Partners

SNH Capital Partners (SNH) has announced its latest strategic investment in Arctic Fisheries, a leading importer of premium seafood products like groundfish, crab, and lobster, serving customers throughout the United States.

With over a century of history, Arctic Fisheries has established a legacy that positions it as a leader in the industry. Leveraging strong, long-standing connections with a global network of suppliers, Arctic Fisheries sources high-quality, premium seafood that is highly esteemed by its foodservice clientele.

Michael Kotok, CEO of Arctic Fisheries...

USTR Extends China Section 301 Tariff Exclusions Through November 29

On Thursday, August 28, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced the extension of tariff exclusions in the Section 301 Investigation of China's Acts, Policies, and Practices. The list of exclusions includes various seafood items, such as frozen haddock and sole, as well as frozen blocks of crab meat, which includes king, snow, and Dungeness crab.

The exemptions, which were to expire on August 31, will now expire on November 29, 2025. This is the second time this year that the exemptions have been extended...