The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have announced a $5 million funding opportunity for research on key fish species. The grants will support studies on Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, green sturgeon, white sturgeon, and Delta smelt in the Central Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. This funding, available in fiscal year 2025 (pending budget approval), aims to gather information that improves decision-making models for fish recovery strategies. Eligible projects include field and lab studies that focus on fish growth, survival ra ..read more

Courtesy of NAA: The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a report entitled, The Port Strike’s Effect on Maritime Commerce, as a quick rundown on Atlantic and Gulf port strike economic impacts. CRS summarized the current strike by writing: “The strike by port dockworkers (commonly called longshoremen) at East and Gulf Coast ports has raised concerns about the economic impact should the strike last more than a few days. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, Ltd., the employers representing ocean carriers and port terminal operators, have ..read more

The California Seaweed Festival celebrates seaweed’s biodiversity and promotes its role in sustainability. The 5th annual event will take place from October 18-20, 2024, across various locations in Humboldt Bay, featuring activities such as workshops, panel discussions, vendor markets, tours of aquaculture sites, and hands-on experiences at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Marine Lab. The festival invites seaweed enthusiasts to explore the benefits of seaweed through food, entertainment, and education. For more details visit California Seaweed Festival ..read more

October 7, 2024 12pm EST Register Here The best time to effectively manage the tax liability is before December 31st. Join JC Hobbs from Oklahoma State University for a webinar discussing tax management tools that can greatly impact the tax liability and help to maximize after-tax income over time. Visit a one-stop website to discover and benefit from US Department of Agriculture programs, click on Farmers.gov ..read more

The plan outlines actions we can take to enhance industry resilience and competitiveness in the face of climate change and other stressors. NOAA Fisheries has released its National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan, a detailed document outlining specific actions to support the U.S. seafood economy and improve the resilience of the sector. This plan builds on the National Seafood Strategy from 2023, targeting wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture. It focuses on NOAA’s services like seafood inspection, fishery financing, and market analysis, and stresses collaboration with federal agencies ..read more

Courtesy of NOAA: NOAA Fisheries works to ensure confidence in US fish and fishery products by providing comprehensive inspection services that support seafood safety and compliance with regulations. As part of NOAA Seafood Inspection Program’s commitment to ongoing service enhancement, we are announcing the mandatory usage of the Inspection Request Module. Effective October 1, 2024, all inspection requests must be submitted through the Seafood Inspection Services Portal (SISP). The Inspection Request module streamlines and simplifies the process for program participants to request product ins ..read more

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) approved increases to water rights and water quality fees during its September 18 board meeting, which will raise fees and directly affect the costs associated with groundwater recharge projects and wastewater management. The SWRCB initially proposed a substantial fee increase of about 1,500 percent. However, Chair Joaquin Esquivel and Vice Chair DeeDee D’Adamo supported a phased-in alternative approach to avoid discouraging groundwater recharge projects. Chair Esquivel proposed a 50 percent reduction in the fee increase, which was adopted by the ..read more

The California Seaweed Festival celebrates seaweed’s biodiversity and promotes its role in sustainability. The 5th annual event will take place from October 18-20, 2024, across various locations in Humboldt Bay, featuring activities such as workshops, panel discussions, vendor markets, tours of aquaculture sites, and hands-on experiences at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Marine Lab. The festival invites seaweed enthusiasts to explore the benefits of seaweed through food, entertainment, and education. For more details visit California Seaweed Festival ..read more

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H has launched virtual field trips for youth learners who wish to explore Maine’s thriving aquaculture industry. These immersive online experiences bring aquaculture to life, offering participants the chance to step inside cutting-edge facilities and learn directly from industry experts, all without traveling to them. Through virtual reality and accessible browser-based tools, these trips highlight the processes behind sustainable aquaculture. “Virtual field trips can introduce learners to professionals and bring them to places that would otherwise b ..read more

Courtesy of NAA: Today the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), posted a Federal Register notice entitled, “Marine Mammal Protection Act List of Fisheries for 2025.” The agency is seeking public comment on changes to their List of Fisheries regulated under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The proposed List reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. NMFS must classify each commercial fishery on the List into one of three based on the level of mortality and serious injur ..read more