National Fisherman

08/07/2026

ASMFC voted to advance its Atlantic menhaden draft addendum for public comment. Options include cutting the 51,000-metric-ton Chesapeake Bay reduction cap and adding seasonal quotas. Ocean Harvesters says the proposal moves ahead before Bay-specific science is complete. No new regulations adopted yet. Public comment period ahead.

08/07/2026

A federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a False Claims Act lawsuit against Cooke, Omega Protein, and Ocean Harvesters. The Second Circuit ruled wild fish are not government property and unassessed penalties don't support the claims. The DOJ had declined to intervene. All four causes of action dismissed.

A federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a False Claims Act lawsuit against Cooke, Omega Protein and Ocean Harvesters, finding the plaintiffs' claims did not meet the law's requirements. The ruling leaves the lower court's decision intact and marks another legal victory for the companies.

08/05/2026

Washington's commercial black cod landings have climbed every year since 2019, hitting 2,515 metric tons and $8.7 million in 2025. Fishermen are on pace again in 2026. Once mostly an export species, sablefish is now overtaking albacore as a best-seller at Pacific Northwest markets and appearing on more U.S. restaurant menus.

Washington's commercial black cod fishery continues its upward trajectory, with landings rising every year since 2019 as growing domestic demand helps make sablefish one of the Pacific Northwest's fastest-rising seafood products.

08/05/2026

Commercial greater amberjack harvest in federal Gulf waters closes Aug. 8 after the fleet hit this year's reduced catch target. The 2026 quota was cut after a small overage in 2025. The stock remains classified as overfished. Reopens Jan. 1, 2027.

NOAA Fisheries will close the Gulf greater amberjack commercial season Aug. 8 after the fleet reached its reduced 2026 catch target, with the fishery reopening Jan. 1, 2027.

08/04/2026

NMFS will close commercial salmon fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ starting 7 a.m. Aug. 5 to protect the coho salmon quota. Federal waters only. State water regulations remain in effect through ADF&G.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will prohibit commercial salmon fishing in the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) beginning at 7 a.m. Alaska time on Aug. 5, according to an Alaska Region information bulletin.

08/04/2026

Two New England fishermen are asking to intervene in the federal lawsuit over commercial fishing access in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. They argue the Antiquities Act doesn't authorize marine monuments or fishing bans in the ocean. Environmental groups filed the original suit challenging the Trump administration's reopening.

Two New England fishermen have asked a federal court to allow them to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit over commercial fishing access within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, adding another chapter to the years-long legal dispute over the protected Atlantic waters.

08/04/2026

When Bristol Bay's salmon run reaches its peak, the spotlight usually falls on the fishermen hauling sockeye over the rails. But just offshore, another fleet is working around the clock to keep the fishery moving. National Fisherman profiles the tender boats that shuttle fish, fuel, groceries, and gear between the grounds and the processors. Washington fisherman Evan Blankenship splits his season between Bristol Bay tendering and Kodiak seining. One provides stability. The other provides opportunity.

https://www.nationalfisherman.com/inside-the-overlooked-world-of-bristol-bay-s-salmon-tenders

08/04/2026

NOAA published Framework 72 for the Northeast groundfish fishery on Aug. 4, making updated catch limits and sector allocations effective immediately. The action ends months of uncertainty that forced fishermen to operate under default specs cutting many quotas to 75%. Public comments accepted through Sept. 3.

After months of uncertainty that left New England groundfishermen planning around regulations that had yet to take effect, NOAA Fisheries has cleared the second major regulatory hurdle for the 2026 fishing year.

08/03/2026

Commercial salmon fishing returned to Kuskokwim Bay for the first time in five years. About 70 permit holders fished sockeye through a local cooperative. Some earned $10,000+. But declining catches ended the season around July 28. The cooperative is rebuilding a fishery that lost its plants and markets years ago.

Commercial salmon fishing returned to Alaska's Kuskokwim Bay this summer for the first time in five years, offering dozens of local fishermen a chance to earn income despite persistent logistical and financial challenges.

08/03/2026

Bering North repowered the Bering Sea trawler Progress with a 2,000-hp Cummins QSK60 at Fred Wahl Marine Construction. Replaces a 1,200-hp Cat that couldn't push the lengthened hull. Reintjes gear from Karl Senner. Nautican propeller and triple rudder system. Now cruises at 10 knots, tops 13.5, and fishes deeper with less bycatch.

When Evening Star Fisheries lengthened and sponsoned the Bering Sea trawler Progress at Fred Wahl Marine Construction (FWMC) in 2019, the company prepared for a future repowering project.