Witnesses at a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing urged passage of legislation (referred in testimony as HR 15 14) to authorize a voluntary Mississippi River Basin Fishery Commission to coordinate states, tribes and federal agencies, secure formula and competitive grants, and tackle invasive species and habitat issues that cross state lines.

Dr. C.J. Sweetman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told a House subcommittee that NOAA's MRIP recreational-fishing data have large errors for some species and uses, and said HR 5 6 9 9 would fund state programs, require external review and reduce error to improve fisheries management.

Regional manager reported mistaken bull moose shootings during hunting season, expanded outreach (Utah Bird Slam, pheasant releases), large habitat projects (about 20,000 acres of fencing, seedings, water-collection apron) and aquatic monitoring showing a decline in burbot catch rates and a record kokanee egg take.

Charting a new course for fisheries in a warming world

NOAA Fisheries has established a West Coast take reduction team to address humpback whale interactions with the federal sablefish pot fishery; the council’s designee reported the team must develop recommendations within the statutory timeframe and stakeholders urged virtual access and recording to ensure transparency.

A commercial fisherman raised concerns in public comment that lowered endorsement thresholds and expanded eligibility are flooding the speckled-trout market; the department said second-round federal funds were limited to shrimp and oysters and cannot be paid to finfish harvesters under NOAA guidance.

This report provides a summary of the issues faced by the brown crab fisheries in Europe and describes the main trends by country, focusing on landings, fishing effort, stock status indicators, and stock assessments. Brown crabs are commercially harvested for human consumption by both inshore and offshore fishing fleets, using mostly pots and traps. The largest brown crab fisheries take place around the coasts of the UK, Ireland, northern France, and Norway, with catches feeding into a predominantly European market. There is a general lack of infor­ma­tion on brown crab population dynamics; and data is lacking on certain aspects of their biology, such as growth rate and stock structure. The absence of regulation on catch limits, combined with relatively high market values, makes this species vulnerable to over­fishing. In recent years, ICES Working Group on the Biology and Life History of Crabs (WGCRAB) has expressed concern over declining catch rates and uncertain exploitation levels of brown crab in many of the management units within the ICES area. Landings of brown crab in northern Europe have been decreasing since 2016. Despite this, some new fisheries have emerged and catch rates are stable or increasing in Scandinavia and in the southern North Sea. Countries with a long tradition of fishing for brown crab have developed sampling programmes, but there are no systematic data collection programmes for more recent fisheries. Most stocks are managed solely using minimum conservation reference sizes: a strategy that protects small and immature animals but does not consider the economic and ecological viability of fishing. There is a need for improved management in brown crab fish­eries to incorporate objectives for both sustainable and viable fishing and balance the produc­tive capacity of stocks and the fleets involved.

The Board voted unanimously to oppose a proposed five‑month closure and/or a 10‑bushel limit for blue crab, urging managers to wait for a 2026 stock assessment and improve data collection methods before imposing restrictions.

Coalition members raised concerns that sheepshead management is proceeding without peer‑reviewed stock assessments and discussed seeking administrative and legislative changes to require fishery management plans (FMPs), economic impact analyses, and rulemaking rather than proclamation. The coalition authorized drafting and distributing a statement.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly on Oct. 21 approved its 2026 state legislative priorities after a series of amendments that elevated fisheries issues, reorganized the priorities into a top list and removed support for changing the Common Interest Ownership Act.

Assembly approves resolution to manage sea otters affecting Southeast Alaska's fisheries.

Every year, people catch and consume more than 5 million metric tons of tuna worldwide. But how does all of that fish get from the ocean to people’s sashimi and tuna salad sandwiches?