USDA Launches Office of Seafood to Support America's Fishermen

New government office aims to provide loans, grants, and marketing programs to commercial fishermen.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 3:35am

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a polished stainless steel fishing hook, a coil of nautical rope, and a gleaming metal carabiner, conceptually representing the tools and equipment of the commercial fishing industry.The new USDA Office of Seafood aims to provide commercial fishermen with the same government support and resources available to the nation's farmers.Port Arthur Today

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the launch of a new USDA Office of Seafood, a priority objective that the Southern Shrimp Alliance and dozens of organizations representing U.S. fisheries have collaborated to pursue for multiple years. The new office will provide support and resources to commercial fishermen, similar to the assistance the USDA already offers to the nation's farmers.

Why it matters

For years, U.S. commercial fishermen have lacked access to the same government loans, grants, and marketing programs available to other food producers like farmers. The creation of the USDA Office of Seafood aims to address this disparity and better support America's fishing industry.

The details

The announcement of the new USDA Office of Seafood came during a roundtable meeting in Washington D.C. attended by fisheries leaders from across the country, as well as several members of Congress and top Biden administration officials. The Southern Shrimp Alliance and other organizations have been advocating for this new office for multiple years, arguing that commercial fishermen should be treated as food producers on par with farmers.

  • The USDA announced the launch of the new Office of Seafood on April 16, 2026.

The players

Southern Shrimp Alliance

An organization representing the interests of the U.S. shrimp industry that has been a key advocate for the creation of the USDA Office of Seafood.

Brent Fulcher

Chair of the North Carolina Fisheries Association and board member of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

Kyle and Tricia Kimball

Representatives of the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association.

Brooke L. Rollins

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Howard Lutnick

U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

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What they’re saying

“This is a landmark day for U.S. shrimpers. Like our nation's farmers, American commercial fishermen are food producers.”

— Blake Price, Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance

What’s next

The new USDA Office of Seafood will begin rolling out loan, grant, and marketing programs for commercial fishermen in the coming months.

The takeaway

The creation of the USDA Office of Seafood represents a significant victory for the U.S. fishing industry, which has long sought greater parity with the agricultural sector in terms of government support and resources. This move could help strengthen the economic viability of America's commercial fishermen and seafood producers.