October 18, 2026 to October 24, 2026

This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning fisheries, aquaculture, shellfish, and marine conservation. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to see GR activities in areas of the economy related to the Fisheries channel? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Environment and Agri-Food. Also consider subscribing to our Fisheries - Ottawa edition covering critical GR news north of the border.

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Federal Government News

Trump Administration Announces America First Seafood Strategy and Launches Seafood.gov

President Donald J. Trump announced the America First Seafood Strategy, introducing new measures designed to support the U.S. seafood industry. The strategy includes modernizing infrastructure, reducing regulatory barriers, boosting processing jobs, and introducing a voluntary 'U.S. Caught Seafood' consumer label, available via Seafood.gov. The website will centralize federal seafood initiatives and resources for industry and consumers. The administration is making $5 billion in USDA-guaranteed loans available for seafood and meat processing upgrades. Efforts target import certification improvements, market access expansion, and protections aimed at addressing unfair competition from illegal fishing and mislabeled imports. Recent initiatives have included restoring access to fishing grounds, regulatory changes, and support for domestic production and exports.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov

FDA Issues Draft Guidance: Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food—Control of Chemical Hazards

The Food and Drug Administration made available a new draft chapter—'Control of Chemical Hazards'—to its multichapter draft guidance on hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food under 21 CFR Part 117. Stakeholders can provide comments until January 21, 2027. The guidance details FDA's current thinking on regulatory compliance for chemical hazards in food production, including contaminants such as pesticide residues, toxins, and PFAS. The chapter forms part of FDA's efforts to clarify requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act and aims to help regulated entities address anticipated chemical risks in manufacturing and handling.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

NMFS Releases Salmon Fishery Inseason Actions and Adjusts Pacific Groundfish Reporting

NMFS enacted eleven inseason actions for 2026-2027 ocean salmon fisheries from the U.S.-Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon, revising Chinook landing limits, modifying schedules, and managing quotas in response to catch rates and updated data. Some fisheries saw limits reduced to 20 Chinook per vessel weekly and temporary closures for landings assessment. Concurrently, the West Coast Region Groundfish Electronic Fish Ticket Program information collection was submitted for OMB review, affecting 189 respondents and supporting IFQ programs and catch recordkeeping in commercial shorebased groundfish fisheries. The changes ensure more immediate, responsive management in both salmon and groundfish sectors.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

New Closures and Reallocation Actions in Alaska's Groundfish Fisheries

NMFS issued several inseason management actions for Alaska's groundfish. In the Western Gulf of Alaska, 200 metric tons of Pacific cod quota were reallocated from trawl to pot vessels for harvest through December 2026; the trawl vessel allocation is now 1,756 mt and pot vessels 3,080 mt. Separately, directed fishing for Pacific cod by trawl catcher vessels in the Central Gulf of Alaska was closed after allocation was reached (effective October 21, 2026, through year end). NMFS also closed pollock fishing in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA after the area's 60,277 mt directed fishing allowance was reached, keeping aside 200 mt as incidental catch. All actions responded to recent catch and quota data under regulatory authorities.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

NOAA Proposes Regulatory Flexibility for Alaskan Sablefish and Groundfish Seasons

NOAA proposed technical revisions to the timing of groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. Proposed regulations would authorize NMFS to align the sablefish IFQ/CDQ season dates and times with those set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, reducing regulatory discards for vessels targeting both species. The rule would also permit NMFS to specify alternative closing times for groundfish fisheries, rather than defaulting to 1200 hours Alaska local time, to optimize quota utilization. Public comments are open until November 20, 2026.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• US to introduce label for all American-made seafood: The U.S. will introduce a new label certifying seafood is caught domestically.
• Lasers, Robots and AI: The Fight to Save Salmon Goes High-Tech: Innovations like robotics and artificial intelligence are being deployed to support salmon conservation.
• They Were Accused of Illegal Fishing. They Ended Up in ICE Detention.: A report details the intersection of fisheries enforcement and immigration proceedings in recent federal cases.
• Venezuela’s Shrimp King Wanted His $700 Million Firm Back. Now He’s in Jail.: Ownership battles in Venezuela's shrimp industry have led to high-profile arrests.
• More than 27 people sick after salmonella outbreak from raw oysters: A salmonella outbreak from raw oysters has sickened over 27 people in multiple states.

.