Trump Admin Unveils Plan to Expand U.S. Seafood Production

The Trump administration has announced an initiative to expand domestic seafood production and modernize the country's fisheries infrastructure.

Although the U.S. imports the vast majority of its seafood supply, the Trump administration says its "America First Seafood Strategy" aims to make the country a world leader in seafood production and processing. To support that goal, the strategy calls for a voluntary “U.S. Caught Seafood” label, a nationwide marketing campaign, and expanded opportunities for domestically harvested and processed seafood in federal food purchasing programs.

Elsewhere, the initiative will direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work with regional fisheries to ensure that existing catch limits reflect the best available science, in hopes of allowing fishermen to harvest more seafood without depleting fish populations. NOAA will also look to restore access to productive fishing grounds where data supports it, with the agency calling for the removal of commercial fishing bans in several Pacific marine monuments, including the Mariana Trench and the Rose Atoll. Other federal agencies will be tasked with streamlining the permitting process and reducing barriers for private investment in cold storage, wet storage, working waterfronts, docks, shipyards and processing facilities.

The strategy calls for stronger enforcement against seafood fraud and illegal imports as well, alongside trade negotiations aimed at opening more overseas markets to U.S. producers. Federal agencies will use artificial intelligence to help detect imports that violate U.S. regulations, while a joint task force will target seafood mislabeling, species substitution and false country-of-origin claims.

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