On October 19, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources released the results of its 2026 juvenile striped bass abundance survey. The 2026 survey recorded a juvenile abundance index value (JAI) of 5.5, the highest since 2018, but still barely half the long-term average of 10.8. Maryland’s juvenile abundance survey data provides a time series dating […]
Top photo: Black sea bass (seen here on Gray’s Reef off Georgia) are one of the many species that depend on the Oculina Reef Pop quiz: What is the name of Jimmy Buffett’s band? If you guessed the Coral Reefer Band, you were right. Notwithstanding the not so subtle reference to non-marine substances, the coral […]
By Bill Mott, co-founder and senior advisor to World Ocean Project (formerly The Ocean Project), and Suzanne Iudicello, principal at Iudicello and Associates, an environmental consultant firm to fishing organizations, government agencies and foundations. Top photo by Mark Stebniki via Pexels. Conservation advocates were largely the new kids on the dock when it came to […]
Chris Moore and Will Poston of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation joined host Tom Sadler and the Marine Fish Conservation Network for a Waterside Chat on September 30, 2026. They focused on the importance of menhaden (a small forage fish) to bay ecosystems and why we need to act now to make sure they — and […]
Top photo: Summer flounder, scup and black sea bass caught in Narragansett Bay, by Dave Monti On August 31, 2026, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released revised recreational catch, landings, and effort data, which resulted from changes made to the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Fishing Effort Survey. The revised data is now available for […]
Top photo: Fishing boat off the coast of North Carolina, by Mark Stebniki via Pexels Losing Our Competitive Edge: NOAA’s Priorities for American Seafood Why science-based management and conservation are central to American seafood “dominance” The Trump administration has recently declared a goal to increase American dominance in the global seafood market. The United States […]
Top photo: Fishing boat docked in Swansboro Harber, North Carolina, via Pexels On August 17, 2026, a Superior Court judge in Wake County, North Carolina found that, in managing its marine fisheries, North Carolina “has failed to meet its ‘obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the benefit of the general public’ as required under […]
This article was first published on August 10, 2026 on Conservation Law Foundation’s blog. It is reprinted with permission. Top photo: The fishing industry is key to New England’s culture and history, via EcoPhotography. Five Ways CLF Has Fought to Protect Fish and Fisheries Decades of advocacy have made a difference in New England Fish […]
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