NOAA prioritizes commercial fishing over conservation, critics say

Key facts

• NOAA announced new priorities aimed at reducing bureaucracy and prioritizing fishing communities.
• Critics argue these changes will negatively impact fish stocks, endangered species, and marine habitats.
• The reforms align with President Donald Trump's executive order to restore American seafood competitiveness.
• Proposals include opening marine national monuments to commercial fishing and re-evaluating fisheries management standards.
• The National Fisheries Institute welcomed the changes, citing a need for modernization and reduced regulatory burdens.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has unveiled new agency priorities that critics contend will prioritize commercial fishing interests over conservation efforts, potentially harming fish stocks and endangered marine life.

These reforms, presented as an "operational roadmap" to fulfill President Donald Trump's "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness" executive order, include proposals to open marine national monuments to commercial fishing and scale back critical habitat designations. Experts like Andrea Treece of Earthjustice express deep concern, stating the plan appears designed to "hollow out marine ecosystems."

NOAA is also initiating a review of the "National Standards" mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which are foundational principles for sustainable fisheries management. This includes reassessing standards related to overfishing prevention, the application of best scientific practices, community impacts, and bycatch mitigation. Meredith Moore of The Ocean Conservancy voiced worries about potential changes to the definition of overfishing and the use of peer-reviewed science.

Industry groups, such as the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), have welcomed the announcement, calling for modernization and a risk-based regulatory approach to reduce operational burdens. NFI President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard congratulated NOAA and the Trump administration on these efforts.

Geographically, significant proposals involve accelerating commercial fishing operations in protected areas like the Mariana Trench, Papahānaumokuākea, Rose Atoll, and Pacific Remote Islands national monuments. These areas, covering over 1.1 million square miles, are crucial habitats for coral reefs and endemic species. Additional rollbacks include applying new Endangered Species Act reforms that alter the interpretation of "harm" and reducing the use of "Habitat Areas of Particular Concern" to balance environmental protections with economic interests.

Janet Coit, former director of NOAA Fisheries, emphasized the importance of regulation for sustainable management and expressed concern that circumventing science-based limits could jeopardize future fish populations. A NOAA spokesperson stated the agency is shifting towards a "science-based, common-sense system" that treats domestic harvesters as partners rather than problems, but did not directly address whether profits are prioritized over environmental stewardship.