National Seafood Month, 2026

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Across our Nation’s harbors and fishing communities, the unrivaled skill and resolve of American fishermen and seafood producers turn the bounty of our waters into food for our families and enduring economic strength.  Food security is national security — we recognize that our fisheries are a vital pillar of American independence.  This National Seafood Month, I join the American people in celebrating these hardworking men and women and reaffirm my commitment to helping them compete, prosper, and lead the world in seafood production.

From the fishing ports of early America to today’s seafood farms and processing plants, this great industry has rewarded enterprise, sustained family businesses, and helped forge the unmatched spirit of determination that defines our maritime workforce.  For generations, our fishermen have braved rough seas and punishing storms, spending long days far from home to earn an honest living and provide for the people they love.  Across our land, the incredible American seafood industry harvests nearly 8.5 billion pounds of world-class food annually, sustains more than a million jobs, and fuels more than $173 billion in commerce, bringing wealth and opportunity to communities across our great Nation.  And now, as we usher in a new Golden Age of seafood production, we are ensuring our fishing communities remain places where the next generation can raise a family, build a business, and pursue their own share of the American Dream.

Since returning to office, I have taken decisive action to restore American seafood competitiveness and give our fishing communities greater freedom to grow and succeed.  Last year, I signed an Executive Order to restore American seafood competitiveness, and my Administration recently launched the Department of Agriculture Office of Seafood.  I have also signed three proclamations to restore commercial fishing access to nearly 5,000 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean and to hundreds of thousands of square miles in the Pacific, enabling American vessels to work additional fishing grounds and compete more effectively in the global seafood market.  Under my leadership, we delivered the largest single-year quota increase in the history of the United States Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, secured a massive 1,200 percent quota increase for Atlantic mackerel, and revived the West Coast salmon season to yield the first full commercial fishery in 3 years.  My Administration was also proud to allocate $123.6 million in fishery disaster assistance to help communities recover from devastating losses, strengthen shoreside infrastructure, and support job retraining to help workers get back on their feet.  We will continue slashing burdensome regulations so our fishermen can reinvest in their fleets, expand their operations, and keep more of what they earn.  Through these historic efforts, we are putting American fishermen first and fighting to make our Nation the strongest, most successful seafood producer in the world.

As our Nation celebrates National Seafood Month, we give thanks to the families whose skill and sacrifice have built and sustained this essential American industry for over 250 years.  We will stand with them as we build a future of thriving ports, successful businesses, and an American seafood industry that is stronger, more competitive, and more prosperous than ever before.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2026 as National Seafood Month.  I call upon all Americans to express their thanks for the American citizens who sustain this crucial industry, and to mark this month with appropriate events and ceremonies.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifty-first.

                             DONALD J. TRUMP