Savoring Seafood: National Seafood Month 2018

09/28/2018

If you're a seafood fan like us, you'll be happy to hear that October is National Seafood Month. We will be highlighting sustainable (and delicious) U.S. seafood with new features, videos, and more. Follow along online using the tag #SeafoodMonth.

The 20-year Migration of the Hawaiian Fishery for Bigeye Tuna

05/30/2018

Hawaii’s bigeye tuna fishery effort has grown tremendously over the past 20 years, so how does that affect its catch? Oceanographers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and the University of Hawaiʻi examined logbook, observer, and ocean temperature data from 1995 to 2015. They found that fish catch doesn’t just depend on how many hooks are set, but also where those hooks are set. Why?

U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program to Include Shrimp and Abalone by December 31

04/23/2018

By December 31, 2018, it will be mandatory for foreign shrimp products to be accompanied by harvest and landing data for shrimp and abalone imports entering the U.S.

NOAA has lifted its stay on shrimp and abalone in the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program – known as SIMP.  As required by Congress -- by December 31, 2018, it will be mandatory for foreign shrimp products to be accompanied by harvest and landing data and for importers to maintain chain of custody records for shrimp and abalone imports entering the U.S. The inclusion of shrimp – the largest US seafood import- and abalone in SIMP nearly doubles the volume and value of imported fish and fish products subject to its requirements, further leveling the playing field for U.S. fishermen, aquaculture producers, and seafood producers around the world who play by the rules.

Farming in Water

02/22/2018

Aquaculture—the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animals and plants in all types of water environments—is one of the most resource-efficient ways to produce animal protein and has helped improve nutrition and food security in many parts of the world.
 Learn how NOAA is a driving force in this rising industry.

New Trade Rule Combats Illegal, Fraudulent Seafood

01/01/2018

Seafood Import Monitoring Program underway as of January 1, 2018.

Think Outside the Bird this Thanksgiving: Serve up Some Seafood

11/16/2017

“Turkey Day” doesn’t have to be all about turkey. Think about fish for your holiday dish.

Oyster Bar 101

10/18/2017

With oyster production on the rise in many regions of the United States, more and more people are finding themselves at oyster bars, also known as raw bars. These establishments offer a variety of oysters, as well as a fun, hands-on experience—but it can be tricky! So whether you are looking to impress a date or just to avoid spilling cocktail sauce on your shirt, here’s some advice for oyster bar beginners.

Milford Lab Takes on Sugar Kelp Cultivation

10/13/2017

Americans generally do not think of seaweeds as something to eat, but thanks to a growing interest in sugar kelp, that view might be changing. Researchers at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Milford Laboratory see sugar kelp as an opportunity to improve and diversify commercial aquaculture operations.

Thermal Habitat Key for Northern Shrimp

07/13/2017

During the past decade, ocean temperatures in the western Gulf of Maine have warmed. This warming is likely playing a role in keeping stock abundance for northern shrimp—a cold-water species—low.

Flatfish Feeding Behavior: It’s All in the Lips

07/07/2017

NOAA Fisheries scientists in Alaska are looking at flounder lips to figure out how feeding behavior differs between flatfish species.

Two West Coast Stocks Rebuilt

06/22/2017

NOAA Fisheries declares bocaccio and darkblotched rockfish rebuilt ahead of schedule.

New Findings on Rockfish Reproduction and Health

05/23/2017

Christina Conrath of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center set out to collect maturity and reproductive data to improve stock assessments for three deepwater rockfish species.

Ocean Warming Driving Species Distribution Shifts

05/12/2017

Commercially important species on the Northeast U.S. shelf will continue to shift their distribution as ocean waters warm two to three times faster than the global average through the end of this century.

Reports Show Continued Recovery of U.S. Fisheries

05/10/2017

NOAA Fisheries announces the release of the agency’s Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries and the 2015 Fisheries Economics of the United States report.

Nutrient Approval is Victory for U.S. Fish Farmers

02/14/2017

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved an ingredient for fish feed that provides fish farmers with more options and reduces our nation’s reliance on feed made of other fish. The ingredient is called taurine.

Celebrating 40 Rebuilt Stocks

10/13/2016

Barndoor skates are the 40th rebuilt stock in the U.S. fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Essential Fish Habitat: A Smart Investment for Sustainable Fisheries

07/05/2016

Q&A with Eileen Sobeck, the head of NOAA Fisheries, on the importance of fish habitat and the law protecting it.

Fisheries Economics of United States 2014 Report

05/26/2016

NOAA Fisheries releases its annual Fisheries Economics of the U.S. with a number of improvements that provide a more accurate and detailed picture of the economic contribution fisheries play in the U.S. economy.

Status of Stocks: U.S. Fisheries Continue to Rebuild

04/20/2016

Two stocks rebuilt in 2015, and stocks on the overfishing and overfished lists remain near all-time lows. Read more in Status of Stocks 2015.

Draft National Bycatch Reduction Strategy Released

02/24/2016

NOAA Fisheries is committed to minimizing bycatch in U.S. fisheries. Comment on the draft National Bycatch Reduction Strategy.

Sustainability Assessment for U.S. Fisheries

01/28/2016

Peer-reviewed assessment shows that U.S. federally managed fisheries more than meet criteria of the United Nation’s FAO ecolabelling guidelines.

Aquaculture Moves Offshore and Into the Future

01/11/2016

An interview with Dr. Michael Rubino, director of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture.

Listening for Cod

03/26/2015

Scientists and fishermen are working together to locate spawning aggregations of Atlantic cod. The goal is to allow fish and fishermen to each go about their business separately.

Marine Aquaculture in the U.S. – Growing our Domestic Seafood

11/03/2014

Explore a sampling of the NOAA aquaculture collaborations occurring across the United States.

Butterfish—Little Fish, Big Science

10/29/2014

The new stock assessment for butterfish accounted for the effects of ocean temperatures on the distribution of the stock, something that will become increasingly important as the climate changes and the oceans warm.

An End to Overfishing (Podcast)

10/20/2014

An interview with Sam Rauch, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs at NOAA Fisheries.

Probiotics on the Shellfish Farm

06/23/2014

NOAA Fisheries scientists are developing a new, environmentally friendly technology to increase yields at oyster hatcheries.

Scientists Study Ecosystem Effects on Fish Populations

04/09/2014

Scientists seek to understand how physical and biological forces combine to drive fish productivity in the Gulf of Alaska.

Pollock is Pollock

03/13/2014

According to the American Fisheries Society, the scientific name for Alaska pollock has changed. But it will take several years for all the agencies that regulate trade in seafood products to update their nomenclature. In the meantime, it’s business as usual.

Bite-Sized Food for Thought: Edible QR Codes

12/02/2013

Harney Sushi, a restaurant in San Diego, is now serving up edible QR (quick response) codes along with their fish. Printed on rice paper with edible ink, the codes allow diners with smartphones to access information on the species they've ordered.

Fine Cooking on the High Seas

10/17/2013

What does a chef aboard the NOAA research ship Oregon II feed a crew of 30 hungry seamen and scientists? Learn what seafood dishes chef Walter Coghlan likes to make the crew.