American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026

Section 2: Expands farm ownership and farm operating loans to include commercial fishing and fish processing businesses. This is a positive step because it gives fishing and seafood processing workers access to direct and guaranteed loans to buy permits, vessels, and facilities, or to cover operating and maintenance costs.

Section 2: Includes wild-caught fish and shellfish in the Farmers' Markets and Local Food Promotion Program and allows the Secretary of Agriculture to waive or reduce matching fund requirements for commercial fishing and fish processing grant recipients. This is beneficial because it helps seafood workers market domestic seafood locally and relieves them of the burden of coming up with matching funds to get grant money.

Section 2: Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide outreach, technical assistance, guidance, and training to agency personnel and the commercial fishing industry, and to coordinate with NOAA. This helps ensure that the people we vote for hold agencies accountable to properly deliver these new services and make sure the fishing community knows how to access them.

Section 3: Extends credit and financial services from Farm Credit Banks and production credit associations to people who furnish services directly related to the operating needs of aquatic product producers or harvesters. This is positive because support businesses that serve the fishing industry will have better access to the credit they need to keep running.