The Department of Agriculture is opening a new Office of Seafood as part of an effort from the Trump administration to make the U.S. seafood industry more competitive on a global scale.
“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,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.
The office’s opening comes about one year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order deregulating the fishing industry. The “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness” order calls for an “America First Seafood Strategy” and directs his Cabinet to usher in an era of deregulation in the industry. The USDA said the seafood office will help implement Trump’s vision for a U.S.-centered fish and aquaculture industry.
The top U.S. states involved in the commercial fishing and seafood industries include Alaska, Maine, Louisiana, Washington, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Mississippi. But for over three decades, the United States has imported much more seafood than it has exported. About 80% of the seafood the U.S. consumes comes from foreign importers such as Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, according to the USDA.
The USDA said the office will help fishermen navigate processes such as promoting American seafood products in the U.S. and foreign markets, procuring American seafood products, filling out grant and loan applications, and getting federal aid in the case of disasters.
According to its website, the USDA Office of Seafood will coordinate across the department’s agencies “to ensure fishermen are integrated into USDA programs” and coordinate with other federal entities, such as the Department of Commerce, “to revitalize the American seafood industry.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement that the new office is part of the administration’s commitment “to supporting American fishermen, strengthening our coastal communities, and ensuring families have access to affordable high-quality American seafood.”
The Office of Seafood website also ties its mission to the Department of Health and Human Services, saying seafood is part of the “Make America Healthy Again” nutritional policies. Seafood is mentioned throughout the Trump administration’s updated dietary guidelines, referenced in sections about protein and healthy fat options.
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Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) celebrated the opening of the office, a move he says he has been advocating for over the past decade.
“Alaska’s fishermen deserve the same federal attention, resources, and risk management tools afforded to America’s incredible farmers,” Sullivan said in a statement. “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.”