Friday, October 31, 2025
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Alaska
Southeast Alaska’s commercial red king crab fishery opens Nov. 1
KFSK by Olivia Rose - October 29, 2025
Southeast Alaska’s first competitive commercial red king crab fishery in eight years opens on Saturday.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game publishes 2025 commercial salmon summary
The 2025 commercial harvest was 41% greater than the recent 20-year annual average.
Peninsula Clarion by Chloe Anderson - October 30, 2025
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released its preliminary summary of the 2025 Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery season. The report found that although numbers of all salmon species besides sockeye were down, the 2025 cumulative yield of fish was 57% greater than the previous 20-year average annual exvessel exchange.
‘Explosion’ of invasive European green crabs reported in Southeast Alaska
The Metlakatla Indian Community, which has been at the forefront in the effort to control the invader, has trapped more than 40,000 of them this year
Alaska Beacon by Yereth Rosen - October 31, 2025When a young Sealaska intern walking a beach in July 2022 found the first evidence of European green crab presence in Alaska – a discarded shell on a beach on Annette Island in the state’s far southeast corner – it was an ominous sign about the invasive species’ northward spread.
Russia sets key pollock quota for 2026
The country's overall pollock harvest is on track to reach around 2 million metric tons by the end of this year.
Intrafish by Evgeny Vovchenko - October 29, 2025
Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture has approved the country's total allowable catch (TAC) for pollock in the 2026 season for the most important fisheries in the country’s Far East basin.
FISH Act Passes in Senate, Will Strengthen US Policy Against Illegal Foreign Seafood Harvests
SeafoodNews.com by Peggy Parker - October 31, 2025
Last Tuesday, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) saw their legislation against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing pass the full Senate as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced last July.The Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Murkowski (R-AK), Wicker (R-MS), Graham (R-SC), Merkley (D-OR), Blunt (D-DE), Coons (D-DE), and Kennedy (R-LA), would combat foreign illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by blacklisting offending vessels from U.S. ports and waters, bolstering the U.S. Coast Guard’s enforcement capabilities and partnerships, and advancing international and bilateral negotiations to achieve enforceable agreements and treaties.House companion legislation has been introduced by Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK), Rep. Magaziner (D-RI), and Crenshaw (R-TX).With Russia and China increasing activities near Alaska’s EEZ, Sullivan said this bill will help the US “fight back against IUU fishing on behalf of our fishermen and coastal communities."One particularly insidious threat is Chinese and Russian fishing fleets that ignore basic seafood harvest rules and best practices, and ravage fish stocks without regard for any other users or future generations,” Sullivan said.“These gray fleets, which literally utilize slave labor in many cases, are a cancer on fisheries throughout the world and undercut our fishermen, who fish sustainably. I want to thank my Senate colleagues for advancing ourFISH Act in the FY 2026 NDAA and helping us.”Whitehouse, who has worked with Sullivan on other ocean issues, echoed Sullivan’s comments.“Our bill cracks down on illegal pirate fishing operations to level the playing field for Rhode Island fishermen and processors who play by the rules, and it will help nurture the fisheries that keep our oceans and coastal communities so healthy and vibrant," Whitehouse said. He is the co-founder of the Senate Oceans Caucus.Constituents in Alaska who have had their eye on the bill for months also supported the passing of the bill."Alaska seafood is sold in over 100 countries. Therefore, our fishermen and seafood processors must compete in the challenging global market," said Jeremy Woodrow, executive director of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute."U.S. and Alaska seafood is regulated, harvested, and processed under the highest standards. In fact, in many cases, the U.S. sets the global standard. Unfortunately, numerous fisheries across the globe continue to operate illegally and unregulated. When these unchecked seafood products enter the global marketplace, they undercut the value of responsibly produced seafood. This impacts not only the marketplace but drives down the economic returns to Alaska’s fishing communities. Thank you, Senator Sullivan, for addressing this inequity and fighting for fairness on behalf of Alaska’s seafood industry.”The president of the Alaska Beriing Sea Crabbers Association and the president of United Fishermen of Alaska agreed."Alaska’s seafood sector is facing very serious challenges,” said Matt Alward, president of United Fishermen of Alaska.“Illegal, unreported and unregulated foreign fishing exacerbates these challenges by undercutting lawful and sustainably caught American seafood. I’m grateful that Senator Sullivan is taking the issue seriously and working to crack down on IUU fishing through the FISH Act."Cora Campbell, president and CEO of Silver Bay Seafoods, noted that the bill “…increases accountability for countries that do not have the same standards, which will help level the playing field and improve competitiveness of American sourced seafood.”"NFI believes strongly in supporting concrete solutions to stopping and combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing," said Lisa Wallenda Picard, president & CEO of National Fisheries Institute (NFI)."Where it occurs, IUU fishing harms effective fishery management measures and undercuts harvesters that fish legally and responsibly. NFI applauds Senators Sullivan and Whitehouse for the FISH Act and for understanding that there needs to be a process that targets bad actors where they are, instead of imposing regulatory burdens and costs on American seafood companies. We view the FISH Act as the definitive statute on IUU and look forward to its enactment as part of the NDAA.”Oceana and the Natural Resources Defense Council, both involved for years in stopping IUU fishing, joined the celebration."Illegal fishing practices are uniquely destructive to global fisheries and the billions of people that depend on them," said Molly Masterton, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)."By shedding a light on bad actors who benefit from skirting the law, the FISH Act takes important steps to better enforce against global illegal fishing and associated labor abuses in the seafood sector. Paired with tools to root out illegally harvested seafood from the U.S. market, it will also help level the playing field for U.S. fishing communities who play by the rules."The FISH Act builds on prior landmark legislation against IUU fishing, including the Maritime SAFE Act, authored by Senators Wicker and Chris Coons (D-Del.) and signed into law in December 2019 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.Key provisions of the FISH Act will:* Direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a blacklist of foreign vessels and owners that have engaged in IUU fishing.* Direct the administration to address IUU fishing in any relevant international agreement.* Direct the U.S. Coast Guard to increase its work with partner countries and increase at-sea inspection of foreign vessels suspected of IUU fishing.* Direct the administration to report to Congress on how new technologies can aid in the fight against IUU fishing, the complexities of the seafood trade relationship between Russia and China, and the economic costs of IUU fishing to the U.S.
Interior approves broad plans for mineral exploration in Alaska
Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman - October 30, 2025
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has approved major steps for oil and gas and mineral extraction in Alaska, citing a need for energy independence and economic development.
Trident, Thunder’s Catch among 2025 Alaska Symphony of Seafood winners
Seafood Source by Christine Blank - October 29, 2025
Trident Seafoods, Thunder Catch, and other seafood suppliers were among the winners of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation’s (AFDF) 2025 Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition. The annual event, held this year on 23 October in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., recognizes excellence in seafood product development, specifically honoring innovative, value-added products that reflect the state of Alaska’s commitment to quality and sustainability, AFDF said in a release. “It’s inspiring to see…
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NPFMC will meet December 2-9, 2025 at the Egan Center in Anchorage, Alaska.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will meet in-person from December 2-9, 2025, at the Egan Center in Anchorage, AK. Please note the change to the meeting start date, now Tuesday, December 2nd. The eAgenda, schedule, and the pre-meeting review documents are available.
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