Nathan Strout is a Portland, Maine-based associate editor of SeafoodSource. Previously, Nathan covered the U.S. military’s space activities and emerging technologies at C4ISRNET and Defense News, where he won awards for his reporting on the U.S. Space Force’s missile warning capabilities. Nathan got his start in journalism writing about several communities in Midcoast Maine for a local daily paper, The Times Record.
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The U.S. marine economy had an economic impact of USD 432 billion (EUR 402 billion) in 2021, making up nearly two percent of the country's gross domestic product.
The annual Marine Economy Satellite Account, a joint publication of NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, shows the marine economy bouncing back strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic, outpacing overall U.S. economic growth with 7.4 percent growth in GDP and 10.5 percent growth in
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A group of U.S. lawmakers want to establish ocean innovations clusters to help foster economic growth in the blue economy.
The ocean clusters will provide a space for public, private, and academic organizations in a set geographic area to collaborate in promoting economic growth and sustainability, according to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who introduced the legislation alongside U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington).
“It really
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants a better understanding of the mercury levels in seafood products available to American consumers, and it’s conduct an extensive survey to gather that data.
The agency is looking for a contractor to execute the survey on behalf of its Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, testing approximately 600 seafood products for mercury and methyl mercury, according to a 7 June notice.
Products
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The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced a framework for distributing USD 2.6 billion (EUR 2.4 billion) in funding for coastal resilience and fisheries support made available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The money will go toward fisheries conservation, Tribal priorities, and a new competitive grant program to develop regional approaches to climate resilience.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we are
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U.S. lawmakers are making yet another attempt to pass the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, a bill that would establish national standards for offshore aquaculture and streamline development.
First introduced in 2018, the legislation has gone through multiple iterations as lawmakers push for a comprehensive framework that encourages aquaculture operations in federal waters. The bill would make NOAA the
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A second spiny lobster dealer in the U.S. state of Florida has been fined for falsely labeling foreign-bought lobsters as U.S. products, following the February sentencing of seafood wholesaler, distributor, and exporter Elite Sky International for similar illegal activities.
“These individuals and companies intentionally misrepresented their lobster to be something that it’s not – a product of the United States,”
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A group of 66 environmental organizations have released a progress report celebrating the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to implement ocean-based climate policies.
"The U.S. has made remarkable progress in advancing ocean-based climate solutions, thanks to a tireless network of ocean advocates, committed Congressional leaders, and the Biden Administration,” Ocean Defense Initiative Director Jean Flemma said in a statement.
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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will begin conducting random comprehensive safety inspections of New England seafood processors and wholesaler operations as part of a local emphasis program designed to crack down on hazardous conditions and reduce injuries and fatalities.
OHSA, the federal government's workplace safety regulator, currently has no inspection targeting system that covers the seafood industry, despite
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Two U.S. senators have introduced legislation that would allow businesses in direct support of commercial fishing to access a federal agriculture loan program.
Under The Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), businesses such as cold storage providers and gear suppliers would be allowed to use the Farm Credit System (FCS), a nationwide network of lenders
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New genetic evidence suggests the overfishing of cod in the 1900s led the fish to rapidly evolve over decades, according to a study led by Rutgers University.
The study, published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Science, shows that the collapse of cod stocks in the Atlantic due to overfishing may have spurred genetic changes that were previously thought to take place over millions of years.
“We have now
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