USDA Creates Office of Seafood
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the creation of the Office of Seafood to “prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers, and processors to access USDA programs.”
According to USDA, one of the primary roles of the new USDA Office of Seafood will be coordinating across USDA agencies to ensure that fisherfolk are integrated into USDA programs and working alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce and other Federal partners to revitalize the American seafood industry.
USDA’s official announcement provides no further details about the Office of Seafood’s role and responsibilities within the federal food regulatory framework.
While the majority of the U.S. seafood supply is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) regulates Siluriformes (catfish) species, and the Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) oversees country-of-origin-labeling for fish and shellfish.
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