NOAA Fisheries FishNews—July 9, 2026

JULY 9, 2026 Celebrating Habitat Month July is Habitat Month at NOAA Fisheries! All month long, we’ll be sharing how we conserve and restore habitat to sustain our nation’s fisheries and support coastal communities. Check out our splash page for habitat-related feature stories. Saving a Chesapeake Bay Marsh for Fish, Wildlife, and People Since 1937, erosion and sea level rise have consumed hundreds of feet of brackish marsh around Virginia’s Ragged Island, located near the mouth of the James River. A NOAA-funded project is restoring habitat for fish, oysters, and birds. The project will also prevent hundreds of tons of sediment and pollution from entering the Chesapeake Bay and fueling algal blooms that kill fish and other marine life. Highlights Celebrating Culinary Arts Month July is also National Culinary Arts Month—and the perfect time to celebrate seafood by firing up the grill, trying new recipes, and exploring the delicious variety of seafood available from U.S. harvesters and farmers. Fire Up the Grill and Celebrate Culinary Arts Month Seafood is sometimes overlooked when it comes to grilling, but there are so many ways you can prepare grilled seafood it’ll make your head swim! This review of some key techniques demonstrates that grilling seafood is easy with the right inspiration.  National Reducing Burdens on Domestic Fishing and Increasing Production In this leadership message, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler announces region-specific actions in support of the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. He explains that, after considering all input from councils, fishing industry, and the public, NOAA Fisheries has prioritized actions we believe will reduce burdens on domestic fishing, increase production, stabilize markets, improve access, and enhance economic profitability.  2025 Species Recovery Grant Awardees Announced NOAA awarded $4.2 million in funding to states and tribes through its Species Recovery Grant Program. These grants promote the recovery of species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This year’s awards support six new projects, 13 continuing multi-year projects, and several projects aimed at recovering three of NOAA Fisheries’ Species in the Spotlight: North Atlantic right whales, Southern Resident killer whales, and white abalone.   Department of Commerce Announces 2026 Appointments to the Regional Fishery Management Councils The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the appointment of 22 new and returning members to the regional fishery management councils. Council members represent a variety of groups, including commercial and recreational fishing and academia, along with state and federal agencies. They serve a 3-year term and may be reappointed to three consecutive terms. Alaska Shedding New Light on Yukon River Chinook Salmon Declines Yukon River Chinook salmon have been declining for decades. Adult run sizes recently reached their lowest point ever following a downturn from 2019 to 2023. A new study identified a heatwave-associated increase in deaths of adult salmon, perhaps due to limited food supply, as an important cause of this most recent and particularly severe decline. Humpback Whale Successfully Freed from Entanglement in Endicott Arm In early May, several mariners noticed a juvenile humpback whale entangled in the narrow opening to Endicott Arm, 50 miles south of Juneau. They reported the sighting to the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network 24-hour hotline. A response team successfully removed two crab pot lines that were weighing the whale down.  New England/Mid-Atlantic The Tide Has Turned: Atlantic Mackerel Shows Signs of Improvement Since 2017, NOAA Fisheries and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council have been working to help the Atlantic mackerel population rebuild. A recent stock assessment indicated the mackerel population is no longer low. In fact, in 2024 Atlantic mackerel egg production in U.S. waters was the highest since the 1980s. As a result, the new 2026 mackerel fishery specifications are almost all substantially higher than before. NOAA Fisheries Trains for Whale Entanglement Response with New York and New Jersey Partners Entanglement of large whales in fishing gear and marine debris is a significant threat to recovering whale populations. To improve rapid reporting and potential responses to large whale entanglement cases, NOAA Fisheries staff recently led a large whale disentanglement workshop in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Collaborators from 12 federal, state, and non-profit agencies from across the New York and New Jersey metro area participated.  Science Blog: Spying on Georges Bank’s Scallops In this first-hand account, Communications Specialist Kristen Jabanoski returns to her science roots while capturing the secrets of the seafloor during the 2026 HabCam Survey aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Science Blog: Those Who Go to Sea In this first-hand account, field scientist Hannah Ciarametaro asked the captain and crew of the F/V Miss Trish II what drew them to a life on the ocean. Their stories touch on duty, pride, peace, money, and the toll it takes on them and their families. Pacific Islands Executive Proclamation Restores Commercial Fishing in Pacific Marine Monuments, Unlocks Economic Opportunity President Trump signed an executive proclamation opening additional fishing grounds in the Pacific Islands to American fishermen and United States flagged fishing vessels. This move increases fishing opportunities closer to shore, in waters protected from poorly regulated foreign fishing fleets. NOAA Fisheries will continue balancing the responsible management of the Pacific Islands marine national monuments ecosystems with the engagement of commercial fisheries, in coordination with the regional fishery management councils.   West Coast U.S. Department of Commerce Allocates $123.6 Million in Fishery Disaster Funding to Alaska, Oregon, California and Squaxin Island Tribe In June, NOAA announced the allocation of $123.6 million in fishery resource disaster funding, appropriated by Congress in 2025. The funding will address previously declared fishery resource disasters that occurred in Oregon, California, the Squaxin Island tribe, and multiple Alaska fisheries between 2019 and 2023. NOAA Fisheries used commercial revenue loss information to allocate funding across the eligible disasters. Upcoming Deadlines July 12: Feedback due for the Gulf Fishery Management Council’s request for information about king mackerel View more news and announcements Upcoming Events July 13: Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop in Dania Beach, FL August 8: Woods Hole Science Stroll in Woods Hole, MA August 11–12: Caribbean Fishery Management Council meeting, hybrid format August 11–13: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Philadelphia, PA August 17: Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop in Manahawkin, NJ August 17: Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop in Vero Beach, FL August 24–27: Gulf Fishery Management Council meeting in Biloxi, MS September 16: Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop in Kenner, LA View more events Federal Register Actions Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations web page to learn more about recently proposed and finalized regulations in your region.  Questions? Visit our website for national and regional contact information

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