Commercial Fishing NAICS 1141

Nov 27, 2025 - NC Fisherman Oppose Crab Cuts

• North Carolina commercial fishermen are pushing back against proposed blue-crab harvest cuts, warning the restrictions could devastate the state’s most valuable fishery, National Fisherman reported in November. The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition, which was formed earlier this year by coastal county lawmakers, are opposed to additional restrictions on the fishery and argue that further reductions, such as limiting catch to as low as 10 bushels or banning crab trawling, should be postponed until a new stock assessment is done in 2026. Without up-to-date scientific data, they say, it's premature to impose sweeping regulation. Fishermen warn a 40–50% cut would hurt not only harvesters, but also crab-picking houses, and the coastal communities that rely on them. Proposals under discussion included a year-round statewide prohibition on crab trawling beginning Jan. 1, new regional trip limits from September through December, and maintaining current seasonal closures.
• Grocery price inflation caused seafood sales at US retail stores to fall in October, Seafood News reported in November, citing new data from consumer research firm Circana. Frozen seafood prices rose 5.3% year over year in October, contributing to sales declines of 2.7% by value to $723 million and a 7.6% drop in volume, according to Circana. Two major species in the frozen category, shrimp and salmon, realized price increases of 9.2%. The latest data from the Labor Department shows that fish and seafood prices rose 2.1% year over year in September but eased 0.3% from August. The price of processed fish and seafood rose 1% YoY in September, while prices for frozen fish and seafood jumped 6.6% over the same period.

• In response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, NOAA Fisheries is calling for public comments to help fulfill the president's vision of making the US the world's dominant seafood leader. NOAA is gathering input on how to improve fisheries management and science, specifically on the following issues: Regulations that govern fishing activities that may be suspended, revised, or rescinded; Challenges specific fisheries are facing and examples of existing federal fishery regulations that could be modified to enhance US fishing businesses; What types of data, forecasting tools, or information products are most needed by US fishing businesses to adapt effectively to changing economic and/or environmental conditions and maintain access to fishery resources; and how to expand exempted fishing permit programs to promote fishing opportunities nationwide. The 45-day public comment period closed on October 14, 2025.
• According to a new report from NOAA Fisheries, there were 95 large whale entanglement cases documented in 2024, an increase from 2023 and higher than the historical average. 2024’s entanglement count is above the average annual number of confirmed entanglements over the previous 17 years, which was 71.4. The National Report on Large Whale Entanglements Confirmed in the United States in 2024, released in September, finds that entanglements in fishing gear or marine debris represent an ongoing threat to the welfare and recovery of many whale species, including species that are endangered and approaching extinction (e.g., North Atlantic right whales). Entanglements involving threatened or endangered species can have significant negative impacts on the population as a whole. NOAA's Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan has required some fishermen to use gear, like weaker ropes, that lower the risk of entanglement.