President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing NOAA Fisheries to prioritize recreational angling access and reduce regulatory barriers to saltwater fishing on Sept. 17.
The order, part of the administration’s Make America Beautiful Again initiative, directs NOAA Fisheries to restructure its approach to recreational fisheries management, the Commerce Department said.
The action directly affects tens of millions of Americans who fish in saltwater and the coastal tourism economy that depends on recreational angling. The American Sportfishing Association estimates recreational saltwater fishing generates more than $100 billion in annual economic activity.
The executive order directs NOAA Fisheries to review existing regulations that restrict recreational access, streamline permitting processes, and give greater weight to economic impacts on fishing communities when setting seasonal restrictions and catch limits.
For charter boat operators, bait and tackle shops, marinas, and coastal hospitality businesses, the order signals relief from regulations they have long argued unfairly prioritize commercial fishing and conservation mandates over recreational access.
Conservation groups have expressed concern that weakening fisheries management regulations could lead to overfishing and damage to marine ecosystems that sustain both recreational and commercial fisheries over the long term.
NOAA Fisheries manages recreational saltwater fishing under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which requires the agency to prevent overfishing while achieving optimum yield from fishery resources. The executive order does not override the statute but directs the agency to interpret its discretion in favor of recreational access.
The Coastal Conservation Association, which represents recreational anglers, praised the order as long overdue. Environmental organizations said they would monitor implementation to ensure fish stock sustainability is not compromised.
The order applies to all federally managed fisheries in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico waters.