Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a new label for U.S.-caught seafood on Friday, Oct. 23. He made the announcement at a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, 11 days before the Nov. 3 midterm election. The White House said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began offering the label that same day 1.
The administration also launched a new government website, Seafood.gov, as part of what it described as new initiatives for U.S. fishermen 1. The coverage we reviewed did not describe what the site contains.
What the label does and does not do
The label is voluntary 1. That means a seller can choose to use it, and nothing in the reporting says a seller must. A local news report said the announcement offered few details on who qualifies, who runs the program, or when it takes full effect 2.
Reports differ on its scope. The Hill describes it as a label for U.S.-caught fish 1. A Fort Myers-area TV station described it as a proposed label for American-caught seafood 2. Shoppers should watch for the exact rules.
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Kennedy's claims and the import numbers
Kennedy said fish caught in the U.S. is of higher quality than European-caught and imported seafood 1. Speaking about shrimp, he said:
No European country will take them, so they ship them all over here
The scale of imports is large. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that in 2023, an estimated 80 percent of the fish eaten in the U.S. was imported 1. Kennedy pointed to shrimp farmed in Vietnam and Cambodia, citing mangrove destruction and the use of antibiotics and disinfectants 2.
What the fishing industry says
The New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association called the label a "major win" for Americans 1. Its advocacy director, Jason Joyce, said the label gives shoppers an easy way to spot American-caught seafood 1.
Christine Gala, a Fort Myers Beach shrimper, told WINK News that a Florida seafood label is long overdue 2. She said Hurricane Ian wiped out Southwest Florida shrimping and that the local industry has not recovered 2. She estimated that only 3% to 5% of U.S. shrimp is domestic 2. She also said cheap imports have pushed local shrimp prices down to roughly 1990s levels, and that rising fuel and supply costs make the work hard to sustain 2.
The trade war backdrop
The announcement follows the president's trade war with Canada, which upset parts of the fishing industry 1. In August, the Maine Lobstermen's Association said it feared becoming "collateral damage" because Canada buys large quantities of Maine lobster 1.
That matters because a label tells shoppers where fish was caught, but it does not lower prices or replace lost export sales. The Hill's report did not say whether the label will change what fishermen earn or what shoppers pay. Kennedy made the announcement at a campaign-style rally, and the coverage we reviewed included no Democratic response.
What happens next is unclear. The reporting did not say how many sellers will adopt the label or how the FDA will check that fish carrying it was actually caught in U.S. waters 12.
The Record
- NOAA data show an estimated 80 percent of fish eaten in the U.S. was imported that year 1.
- The Maine Lobstermen's Association said in August it feared becoming "collateral damage" in the Canada trade war 1.
- Kennedy announced the voluntary U.S.-caught seafood label and Seafood.gov at a Fort Myers rally; the FDA began offering the label that day 12.
Sources
- The Hill, “Kennedy rolls out US-caught seafood labeling, Seafood.gov” (2026-10-23). thehill.com/homenews/administration/6169656-trump-rfk-unveil
- WINK News, “Trump, RFK Jr. push American seafood label to help SWFL shrimpers” (2026-10-23). winknews.com/news/rfk-jr-announces-american-made-label-for-s
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