Seafood Notes

Seafood is also a question of fishing gear, catch limits, declared weight and shellfish controls. Agency reports on Dungeness crab, Pacific halibut, frozen imports and commercially sold shellfish describe those parts of the subject, from lines resting on the seafloor to the testing of shellfish for toxins.

Dungeness crab and pop-up gear

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's April 17, 2026 announcement reported that pop-up gear had been authorized for commercial Dungeness crab fishing in Fishing Zones 4 and 5 on April 3. The announcement placed the fishing measures in the context of minimizing entanglement risk while continuing fishing opportunities as humpback whales returned to forage off California.

The mechanism begins with familiar equipment: a trap, a buoy and a line. Pop-up gear uses buoys and lines attached to traps, just as traditional crab gear does. The buoy and line remain coiled on the seafloor with the trap. When a commercial fisherman is ready to retrieve the gear, a remote signal triggers the buoy's release. The buoy carries the line to the surface, allowing the fisherman to retrieve the gear immediately.

Pacific halibut and the annual catch

NOAA Fisheries' Pacific halibut profile describes the largest species of flatfish, native to the North Pacific Ocean. The fishery includes commercial, recreational and subsistence fishermen. NOAA also describes Pacific halibut as one of the North Pacific's most valuable commercial and recreational fishery resources.

The commercial landings figures describe the 2024 harvest. Landings totaled approximately 20 million pounds and were valued at $78 million, according to NOAA's commercial fishing landings database. Approximately 95 percent of that harvest was landed in Alaska.

Catch limits are set annually by the IPHC for fisheries in United States and Canadian waters. NOAA describes that annual process as drawing on the latest scientific information about the stock's abundance and potential yield.

Frozen seafood and declared weight

The FDA's September 2, 2025 report on short weighting described a sampling assignment conducted during 2022–2024. The agency collected 28 samples of retail-packaged frozen seafood imported from four countries and tested their compliance with the net-weight declarations on the labels. Ten samples failed those checks, with short weights ranging from 2.3 to 9.9 percent. The FDA refused entry to all shipments associated with the samples found in violation.

The report explains the role of added water glaze in frozen seafood. Applying glaze is a common industry practice intended to protect the seafood from freezer burn during storage. Short weighting can occur when the declared net weight includes the weight of that added glaze or ice. The issue concerns how much seafood is represented by the package's stated quantity when water used for protection also adds weight.

The FDA describes overstating net contents in this way as economically motivated adulteration: a substance has been added to increase the food's bulk or weight. Its example is the inclusion of ice glaze in the net quantity.

Approved commercial shellfish

An April 27, 2026 public-health notification carried by California's Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the annual quarantine of sport-harvested mussels beginning May 1. It applied to all species of mussels gathered recreationally for human consumption along the California coast, including bays and estuaries. The notification expressly exempted commercially sold mussels, clams, scallops and oysters from approved sources.

The commercial category came with requirements of its own. The notification stated that only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers may sell those products. Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's April 29 notice explained that shellfish toxin levels do not follow predictable cycles and can increase rapidly. It also stated that cooking does not destroy the toxins. Its account placed the annual quarantine within a system of year-round surveillance, public education, shellfish advisories and commercial closures as needed.

The County described the coastal quarantine area as extending from Oregon to Mexico, including Los Angeles County's bays, inlets and harbors. The County also described the sales rule in terms of bivalves, or two-shelled shellfish: state law prohibits their sale for human consumption except through a state-certified commercial shellfish harvester or dealer. The County's notice gave May 1 through October 31, 2026 as the order's effective period.