The Trump administration has announced a new America First Seafood Strategy aimed at strengthening the domestic seafood industry, expanding market opportunities for American seafood producers, rebuilding processing infrastructure, and improving the competitiveness of U.S. fisheries and aquaculture.
Announced October 23, 2026, the strategy establishes five primary areas of focus: labeling, marketing and market access; rebuilding seafood infrastructure and processing capacity; fair trade and import enforcement; regulatory reform and industry partnerships; and promoting the health benefits of seafood.
One of the most visible components is the introduction of a voluntary U.S.-Caught Seafood designation. The label is intended to help consumers identify seafood harvested by American commercial fishermen aboard U.S.-flagged vessels operating under U.S. fisheries management. The initiative will complement existing country-of-origin labeling requirements and provide domestic seafood products with a more recognizable identity in the marketplace.
The administration also plans to launch a nationwide “Eat American Seafood” marketing campaign and expand opportunities for domestically harvested seafood in federal procurement programs. Additional initiatives include modernizing outdated seafood market names, improving market access for smaller fisheries and cooperatives, and strengthening enforcement against seafood fraud, species substitution, and mislabeling.
Infrastructure investment is another central component of the strategy. Federal agencies intend to encourage the reopening and modernization of seafood processing facilities, expand cold-storage capacity, improve financing opportunities for fishing vessels, and streamline permitting and environmental reviews for waterfront and processing projects.
On the trade front, the strategy calls for stronger enforcement of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), increased scrutiny of high-risk imports, and efforts to address foreign subsidies, unfair trade barriers, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. These measures are intended to improve competitive conditions for U.S. seafood businesses and protect the integrity of domestic supply chains.
The strategy also emphasizes regulatory reform and closer collaboration between federal agencies and the seafood industry. Priorities include ensuring catch limits reflect the best available science, reducing unnecessary compliance costs, and establishing a more predictable permitting process for responsible marine aquaculture operations in federal waters.
Finally, the administration intends to elevate seafood’s role in American nutrition and public health through updated dietary guidance, science-based nutrition education, and coordination with the proposed “Eat American Seafood” campaign.
The America First Seafood Strategy builds on the administration’s April 2025 executive order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated federal effort to increase domestic seafood production, strengthen processing and distribution capacity, expand markets for American products, and support the fishing and aquaculture businesses that contribute to the nation’s food supply and coastal economies.
More Information: America First Seafood Strategy – NOAA Fisheries