Key facts
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order prioritizing recreational fishing and reviewing fisheries regulations.
- The order directs federal agencies to ensure fisheries guidelines appropriately account for the recreational fishery.
- A provision in the order facilitates the conversion of decommissioned offshore oil and gas structures into artificial reefs.
- The order establishes an Interagency Shark and Pinniped Depredation Task Force to address fish taken from anglers' lines.
- Critics warn the order could reduce US marine protections from 26% to 4% of US waters.
- The order directs agencies to suspend, revise or rescind regulations that overly burden boaters and anglers.
President Donald Trump's recent executive order, Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation, is facing criticism from environmental advocates who argue it undermines crucial marine protections and scientific standards.
The order directs federal agencies, including the commerce department, to review fisheries guidelines under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, with a focus on appropriately accounting for the recreational fishery. The National Marine Fisheries Service, however, praised the order, stating it addresses data collection flaws, streamlines permitting, and expands marine habitats, thereby providing stability to the US outdoor recreation economy, valued at $1.2 trillion.
Conservation groups expressed alarm, viewing the order as a dismantling of science-based marine management. Lance Morgan, president of the Marine Conservation Institute, warned that the US could shift from a global leader in marine conservation to a bystander. Gib Brogan of Oceana noted that while reviewing standards isn't unusual, the concern lies in how the Trump administration might reinterpret concepts like overfishing and 'best available science'.
Another provision in the order facilitates the conversion of decommissioned offshore oil and gas structures into artificial reefs. Kristen Monsell of the Center for Biological Diversity criticized this as a "handout to the oil industry," arguing that platforms are not ideal habitats, can leach chemicals, and may introduce invasive species. Arlo Hemphill of Greenpeace USA agreed that while some rigs could offer habitat, their placement needs careful consideration, and attracting fish doesn't necessarily create new populations but makes them easier to catch.
The order also establishes an Interagency Shark and Pinniped Depredation Task Force. Andrea Treece of Earthjustice suggested this aims to ease restrictions on shark fisheries, which she called "short-sighted" given sharks' vital role in ocean ecosystems. She questioned why recreational fishers might be experiencing more shark depredation, suggesting it could be due to fewer fish or increased fishing numbers, and advocated for conserving fish populations rather than targeting predators.
Grace Casselberry, a shark depredation researcher, echoed concerns about potential changes to harvest limits, emphasizing the need for science-based adjustments that promote population growth and sustainability, especially as recreational fishing increases.
Furthermore, the order directs agencies to revise or rescind regulations that burden boaters and anglers. Monsell warned this could jeopardize protections like the vessel-speed rule designed to prevent collisions with endangered North Atlantic right whales, a measure she described as "effective, life-saving."
Critics argue that if all proposed rollbacks survive legal challenges, US waters could see protections shrink from 26% to just 4%, insufficient for marine biodiversity. They contend the initiative is a "giveaway of our fish and our ocean ecosystems."