National Fisherman

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National & International

The Cape Town Agreement will set mandatory fishing safety standards for 28 nations, representing 3,754 qualifying vessels, when it goes into force in February 2027. International Maritime Organization photo.

Argentina joins Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety standards

NF Staff

MotionInfo of Orleans, Massachusetts, manufactures the StationKeeper, an AIS transceiver that receives AIS information from vessels and can be used to send those vessels whale alerts and other safety and navigation information. Photo courtesy of MotionInf

Saving whales and mariners, MotionInfo expands the uses of AIS

Paul Molyneaux

Although vessels in the Bering Sea Fleet can legally turn off AIS, temporarily, their VMS signals continue to report their positions to NOAA. Photo courtesy of Paul Molyneaux

The increasing advantages of AIS

Paul Molyneaux

In January 2025, Garmin acquired the SeaStar information service and added it to its ecosystem of hardware and software. The software provides numerous data layers intended to make commercial fishing operations more productive and efficient. Photo courtes

Garmin brings SeaStar information service into its ecosytem

Paul Molyneaux

Maine Sea Grant Program announced in January that it has received $1.4 million from NOAA to support research and outreach under the NOAA Sea Grant-funded American Lobster Initiative. Photo courtesy of Darryl Brooks

Sea Grant funding holds steady in 2026

Carli Clancy

Fishing boat docked in Pillar Point Harbor, San Mateo County. Photo by Gilberto Mesquita / Shutterstock

Federal officials restore commercial fishing safety jobs

Margaret Bauman

Fishermen using the Fiobuoy gear must meet certain criteria and agree to a number of data gathering requirements. Photo courtesy of Fiomarine

Gear lending library helps Dungeness crabbers go ropeless

Paul Molyneaux

dgeTech’s on-demand buoy system—with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background—is now approved for use in areas otherwise closed to Dungeness crab fishing. The company has been making acoustic release mechanisms for forty years. Photo courtesy of Rob Morri

EdgeTech on demand buoys get California approval

Paul Molyneaux

Fish for sale at seafood market. Photo courtesy of leungchopan / Shutterstock

Up to 20% of global seafood tied to fraud

NF Staff

Starlink on a commercial fishing vessel. Photo courtesy of Carli Stewart

What fishermen are saying about connectivity offshore

Carli Clancy

Over 400 entities are urging Congress to reject the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act of 2025. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Fishermen, aquaculture producers, and others launch battle against MARA Act

Margaret Bauman