USDA Creates Office of Seafood

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of the Office of Seafood, which the agency said is designed to prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers and processors to access USDA programs.

Fifty years ago this week, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act — the primary law governing marine fisheries in U.S. federal waters — was signed into law. The USDA said fishers across the country have been struggling for years to navigate programs at the agency that can help support their businesses.

The creation of the Office of Seafood recognizes American fishers as a key part of the U.S. food supply, said USDA.

One of the primary roles of the new office will be coordinating across USDA agencies to ensure fishers are integrated into USDA programs and working alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce and other federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.

The new office supports USDA’s implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. The Office of Seafood will coordinate with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the development of the “America First Seafood Strategy,” designed to promote production, marketing, sale and export of U.S. fishery and aquaculture products and strengthen domestic processing capacity, said USDA.

“With the launch of the USDA Office of Seafood, we are honoring decades of hard work on the water and opening the door to new opportunities, stronger support and a brighter future for the seafood industry,” said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “Today’s announcement, in addition to the historic tax cuts and investments in rural America made possible through the priorities and provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts, is truly a new chapter for America’s fishermen.”

“Fishing is the very foundation of Maine’s heritage,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). “Today, the seafood industry in our region generates more than $5 billion in income and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, in addition to providing a nutritious food supply, delicious restaurant meals and sustaining entire coastal communities. I appreciate that USDA is recognizing our fishermen as farmers of the sea and establishing the Office of Seafood. The creation of this office is a long overdue, essential step to expanding seats at the table for our hardworking fishing families, who are a key piece of our nation’s history and our future as well.”

Added Sen. Dan Sullivan, (R-Alaska), “Alaska’s fishermen deserve the same federal attention, resources and risk management tools afforded to America’s incredible farmers. The new USDA Office of Seafood — an action I’ve been strongly advocating for over the past decade — opens the door to that opportunity. This office is going to benefit everybody: all of Alaska’s fishermen, our small businesses and our many coastal and interior communities from across the state. I thank Secretary Rollins and Secretary [of Commerce Howard] Lutnick for working closely with me and my team over the past year to fully understand the challenges facing our fishermen and coastal communities and for taking meaningful action on their behalf. With this new office, we’re going to build a stronger partnership between USDA, Department of Commerce, the entire executive branch and our fishermen so they can continue to do what they do best: sustainably harvesting the freshest and healthiest wild seafood in the world.”

For more information, email seafood@usda.gov or visit www.usda.gov/seafood.