CBF Urges Trump Administration to Fund Vital NOAA Fisheries Work in Comments on Bolstering the Seafood Industry

Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) experts urged the Trump administration to continue funding critical research and grant programs, remove barriers to managing invasive blue catfish, and promote shellfish exports to Europe in comments filed yesterday with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 

In August, NMFS requested input on fisheries regulations, management, science, and other priorities identified in the White House’s April executive order “Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness.”

The Chesapeake Bay is home to more than 348 species of finfish and 173 shellfish and a key driver our region’s economy. According to the NMFS 2022 report on U.S. fisheries, the seafood industry in Maryland and Virginia contributed $7.9 billion in sales, $1.8 million in income, and more than 60 thousand jobs to the regional economy. 

Yet the Trump administration has targeted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which houses NMFS, for massive budget cuts and staff reductions that threaten to devastate efforts to restore the Bay and strengthen its climate restoration efforts. 

CBF specifically recommended that the administration: 

• Continue funding NOAA grant programs that support waterfront communities, build the next generation of American watermen, and conduct research that benefits aquaculture and other fisheries. 
• Keep funding NOAA’s work to identify the cause of Sudden, Unusual Mortality Syndrome (SUMS) in farmed oysters, a major threat to expanding oyster aquaculture on the East and Gulf coasts. This research will allow oyster growers and scientists to forecast conditions and rear more resilient oysters in hatcheries. 
• Rescind federal seafood processing regulations that have stymied the commercial harvest of blue catfish, an invasive non-native species and voracious predator that threatens the Bay’s valuable blue crab and striped bass fisheries. 
• Preserve NOAA’s critical work tracking and evaluating weather and ocean conditions, water quality, and how climate change is affecting commercial fisheries.  
• Expand access to the European Union (EU) shellfish market, which under EU food safety regulations is only open to exports from Massachusetts and Washington. The export market represents a critical opportunity for many Bay region shellfish producers, many of which are family-owned businesses. 

 CBF Federal Policy Coordinator Annabelle Harvey issued the following statement: 

“From blue crabs to oysters to striped bass, the Chesapeake Bay’s fisheries power this region’s economy and define its identity. It’s essential that NOAA has the resources and tools to restore the fisheries habitats and species that make the Bay one of the most productive estuaries in the country. 

“CBF urges the Trump administration to invest in NOAA research, data collection, and grants that promote the long-term viability of Bay fisheries and coastal communities; rescind needless regulatory barriers to managing invasive blue catfish; and work on opening the European market to our shellfish producers.

“We appreciate the opportunity to share our ideas for improving fisheries management and science. Our fisheries and policy experts stand ready to help achieve these important goals.”