The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of a new Office of Seafood.

This office will prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers and processors to access USDA programs.

The USDA Office of Seafood will play an important role in coordinating with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the development of the America First Seafood Strategy to promote the production, marketing, sale and export of U.S. fishery and aquaculture products and strengthen domestic processing capacity.

One of the primary roles of the new USDA Office of Seafood will be coordinating across USDA agencies to ensure fishermen are integrated into USDA programs and working alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce and other federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.

“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,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Fifty years ago, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act—the primary law governing marine fisheries in U.S. federal waters—was signed into law, providing the fishing industry with long-term economic stability. However, for years, fishermen across the country have been struggling to navigate programs at USDA that can help support their businesses.

For additional information, email seafood@usda.gov or visit www.usda.gov/seafood.