U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Angus King (I-Maine) have reintroduced the Working Waterfronts Act, a comprehensive bill aimed at bolstering the infrastructure, resiliency, and workforce of the nation’s coastal and fishing economies. The legislation is designed to deliver new financial tools to the commercial fishing sector and the network of maritime businesses that support it.
“The Gulf of Maine and other coastal regions are facing major shifts due to climate change and economic pressures,” said Sen. King. “This bill ensures our waterfront communities have the resources—energy, financial, and infrastructure—to adapt and thrive.”
Key provisions in the legislation include:
- Hydropower tax credits and a pilot program for alternative fuels in fishing vessels
- A competitive grant program for cold storage, cooperative seafood processing, and seaweed-processing facilities
- A maritime workforce grant program to help train and retain skilled labor
- The creation of an interagency working group to map vegetated coastal ecosystems and combat invasive species
The act consolidates provisions from several earlier efforts, including the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act, FISH Wellness Act, Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act, and Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act.
Industry stakeholders welcomed the bill. “It’s a strong example of smart domestic economic policy,” said Julie Decker, President of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association. “By expanding access to USDA loan programs, the bill supports investment in seafood harvesting and processing—critical steps to helping U.S. producers stay competitive.”
Although first introduced in early 2024, the bill did not advance before the end of the congressional session. Now reintroduced, it gains momentum alongside a companion bill in the House, the Keep America’s Waterfronts Working Act, championed by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).
Pingree’s proposal would establish a national working waterfronts preservation loan fund, grant program, and a task force within the U.S. Department of Commerce. “Only about 20 miles of Maine’s 5,000-mile coastline remain dedicated to ocean commerce,” Pingree said. “With this legislation, we’re aiming to reverse the decline of working waterfronts by investing in jobs, access, infrastructure, and resilience.”
Both bills underscore a growing bipartisan push to protect and strengthen the economic backbone of America’s coastal communities.