Trump Executive Order Prioritizes Recreational Fishing Over Existing Marine Protections

The administration issued an order titled Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation that directs the Commerce Department to review the Magnuson-Stevens Act guidelines to give greater weight to the recreational fishery.

The Guardian

The National Marine Fisheries Service praised the order, saying it will address long-standing data-collection flaws, streamline permitting, and expand marine habitats, which it argues will stabilize the U.S. outdoor recreation economy valued at roughly $1.2 trillion. The agency also highlighted the artificial-reef program as a means to repurpose offshore structures.

The Guardian

A coalition of environmental groups warned that the order could undermine science-based management. Critics highlighted the risk that artificial reefs may act as hubs for invasive species and leach chemicals, and that easing shark-related restrictions could further endanger already depleted shark populations. Legal experts noted that the order’s deregulatory language may threaten existing protections such as the vessel-speed rule, which limits ships to 10 knots in designated zones to reduce collisions with North Atlantic right whales.

The Guardian

• Economic scope: The recreational fishing sector contributes about $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy.

The Guardian

• Protection levels: Conservation advocates estimate that if all recent rollbacks survive legal challenge, protected U.S. waters could fall from 26 % to 4 %.

The Guardian

• Shark populations: Current U.S. shark stocks are described as a fraction of their mid-1900s levels.

The Guardian

• Speed rule: The 10-knot speed limit is cited as a life-saving measure for endangered right whales.

The Guardian

• “That progress is now being dismantled, bit by bit,” — Lance Morgan

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• “The concern comes in the way that this administration has been implementing the bedrock environmental and conservation laws,” — Gib Brogan, senior campaign director at Oceana

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• “Offshore platforms were never designed to function as healthy reefs and are known to serve as hubs for invasive species, including non-native corals and fish. They can also leach harmful chemicals into the ocean,” — Kristen Monsell

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• “It seems to be aimed at killing more sharks and that is really short-sighted,” — Andrea Treece, deputy managing attorney for oceans at Earthjustice

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• “Most shark populations in the US are a fraction of what they were before the rise of industrial-scale fishing in the mid 1900s,” — Andrea Treece, deputy managing attorney for oceans at Earthjustice

The Guardian

• “While some shark populations have seen various levels of recovery, we also have more people fishing recreationally than ever before, which creates a perfect storm for these encounters … It has taken decades to get to the point where sharks are beginning to recover, and that progress could be quickly undone,” — Grace Casselberry

The Guardian