Trump’s executive order on recreational fishing is a ‘giveaway of fish and ocean ecosystem’, advocates warn
Federal agencies told to prioritize recreational fishing and to reconsider scientific standards as well as regulations
TL;DR
- Donald Trump's executive order directs federal agencies to prioritize recreational fishing and reconsider scientific standards and environmental regulations for American fisheries.
- Conservation advocates express concern that the order moves away from science-based marine management and weakens existing protections.
- The order mandates a review of fisheries guidelines under the Magnuson-Stevens Act to ensure they appropriately account for recreational fishing.
- A provision to convert decommissioned offshore oil and gas structures into artificial reefs is criticized as a handout to the oil industry and potentially harmful to marine ecosystems.
- The order establishes a task force to address cases where sharks and marine mammals take fish from anglers' lines, which advocates fear could lead to increased shark fishing.
- Critics warn that the order's deregulatory push could threaten vital protections, such as the vessel-speed rule for North Atlantic right whales.
- Advocates state that if proposed rollbacks survive legal challenges, US waters could have significantly less protection, impacting marine biodiversity.