Celebrate National Seafood Month

October 02, 2023

The United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood for both wild-caught and farmed species. Join us for National Seafood Month 2023 and savor delicious seafood along the way.

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Mandala of seafood including fish, lobsters, oysters

As we welcome autumn, we also celebrate National Seafood Month. The United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood for both wild-caught and farmed species. U.S. fishermen and fish farmers operate under some of the most robust and transparent environmental standards in the world. NOAA Fisheries works to advance and export sustainable management practices internationally. We establish and maintain a level playing field for our fishermen and fish farmers, and maintain confidence in U.S. seafood products and access to the global marketplace.

Pot of seafood stew with wooden spoon in it — Seafood stew. Credit: Shutterstock

Aquaculture plays a key role in sustainable seafood as well. Developing a domestic aquaculture industry is critical for the economic and environmental resiliency of our coastal communities and supply of sustainable seafood.

Sustainable seafood relies on strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement enforces best stewardship practices over our ocean fisheries. They work with domestic and international partners to ensure a level playing field for those playing by the rules, combating IUU fishing and expanding compliance with ocean stewardship laws.

Join us all month long to celebrate sustainable seafood with new features, videos, podcasts, and more. There's a lot to celebrate because—aside from being scrumptious—seafood is good for you, good for the economy, and good for the planet! So dig into our seafood features below.

Seafood Features

From Ocean to Plate: How the Longline Fishery Feeds Hawaii

Take a closer look at one pathway that popular Hawaiian seafood takes to get from the ocean onto your plate.

Watch the video

A man wearing a black baseball hat, face mask, and gloves, holds a piece of tuna filet in his hands to inspect quality. Several other tuna are stacked on ice below. — A bidder checks the quality of tuna at the Honolulu Fish Auction. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

What Fish Stock Rebuilding Means to Communities

In this episode, we take a closer look at stock rebuilding—how it is done and what it means. We explore what is required of fishing communities and the people who make the decision that rebuilding is necessary.

Listen to the podcast

Dozens of white, brown, and pink-colored sea scallops photographed on a black ocean floor. — Dense beds of small scallops photographed on the ocean floor in the Mid-Atlantic in 2015. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

How NOAA Fisheries Helps Get American Seafood into American Diets

A long-standing federal program presents a valuable opportunity to help American fisheries.

Our work with partners to improve the resiliency of the U.S. seafood industry and get American seafood into American diets

Seafood on a lunch tray with a student from a Greenville County school — NOAA Fisheries' support of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program helps get healthy American seafood—like Alaska pollock fish sticks—into school lunches. Greenville County Schools in South Carolina make a point of serving seafood at least once a week. Photo courtesy of Joe Urban/Greenville County Schools.

Climate Readiness: the Future of U.S. Fisheries

Supporting healthy, sustainable seafood and a robust seafood industry is a major priority for NOAA Fisheries. Hear from NOAA Fisheries leadership and members of the seafood community about climate readiness and plans for responding to a changing climate.

Listen to the podcast

Monitoring work at Salty Lady Seafood farm. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

A Major Rebuilding Milestone: 50th Fish Stock Rebuilt

Snohomish coho salmon was declared overfished in 2018 and has now been rebuilt to a sustainable level, making it the 50th rebuilt fish stock under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Learn about NOAA Fisheries' role in rebuilding this iconic fish population

Coho salmon leaping out of the water. — Two coho salmon leap from the water.

Celebrating Oysters During Oyster Week

It's Oyster Week! We're celebrating by honoring one of our favorite shellfish October 16-20 with special features.

Explore new features to celebrate Oyster Week

A clump of several oysters all growing vertically — A clump of healthy oysters was pulled from a restored oyster reef in Harris Creek, Maryland, as part of monitoring work. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.

From Collapse to Sustainability: West Coast Groundfish Are Back

Learn about the decades-long effort to get West Coast groundfish back on our plates.

Listen to the podcast

Petrale sole placed on a wooden counter next to a kitchen knife and fruit and floral garnish — A Petrale sole flatfish. Photo courtesy of Positively Groundfish.

Working Towards Zero-Waste Seafood

In celebration of Seafood Month 2023, Conservation International Hawaiʻi and Chef Hui are hosting a series of dinners to promote zero-waste seafood in Hawaiʻi.

Check out the menu for Seafood Month 2023

Fish cut up into sections. — Our partner Conservation International-Hawaiʻi is hosting a series of zero-waste seafood dinners for Seafood Month. Credit: Nami Kaze

Raising the Bar(codes): New Dataset Will Help Fight Seafood Fraud and Protect Consumer Safety

DNA barcodes generated as a result of a collaborative project between the Food and Drug Administration, the Smithsonian, and NOAA's National Systemics Laboratory will help U.S. officials keep American seafood consumers safe and assure products are properly labeled.

Learn more about this important research

A man in a green shirt and a man in a blue patterned shirt hold up a medium-sized preserve fish with a label attached to it. — Dr. Jonathan Deeds (left) of the FDA and Dr. Jeffrey Williams (right) of the National Museum of Natural History hold a specimen of Northern red snapper. Credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

How Teacher at Sea and Commercial Fisherwoman Germaine Thomas Celebrates Seafood

Whether on a boat or in a classroom, seafood is a big part of Germaine Thomas' life.

Learn how Germaine celebrates seafood with her students, family, and friends

Teacher at Sea and Commercial Fisherwoman, Germaine Thomas, stands at the bow of her boat. She is dressed in orange coveralls, cold weather gear, and is holding two salmon--one in each hand. — In the summers, science teacher Germaine Thomas fishes commercially for sockeye salmon in Prince William Sound. Photo courtesy of Germaine Thomas.

National Seafood Month 2023: Celebrating Past Successes, Preparing for Future Challenges

NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit reflects on the importance of supporting a resilient seafood sector in the United States.

Read Janet Coit's leadership message

A seafood spread of oysters, tuna, and ceviche tacos — Plates of tuna crudo, halibut ceviche tacos, and eastern oysters. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Brianna Shaughnessy.

Celebrating Aquaculture Week: Farming from Tide to Table

Join us for Aquaculture Week 2023 to learn how marine aquaculture—or farmed seafood—is vital for supporting our nation’s seafood production and year-round jobs, enhancing coastal resilience, and more.

Explore our Aquaculture Week 2023 Features

A man in boots dig for clams in the mud next to an orange bucket. — Digging for surfclams. Credit: Island Creek Oysters

7 Ways to Celebrate National Seafood Month

Temperatures are cooling, leaves are changing colors, and the smell of pumpkin spice fills the air—all signs of fall in the United States! This time of year is meaningful for many reasons. At NOAA Fisheries, it’s a time to celebrate seafood because October is National Seafood Month. Check out ways you and your family can savor the flavors—and health benefits—of seafood.

See 7 ways to celebrate National Seafood Month