Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores American Saltwater Angling and Recreation

Summary: This is a White House fact sheet on the companion executive order (referenced in prior documents) modernizing federal fisheries management and expanding access for recreational anglers and boaters. Order provisions: Directs the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, and Interior to suspend, revise, or rescind regulations burdening boaters, anglers, and outdoor businesses, and to move toward multi-year permitting with a presumption of renewal for compliant charter operators. Directs Commerce to modernize fisheries data collection by shifting from mail-in surveys to mobile electronic catch-reporting apps, develop a 5-year plan integrating recreational economic data into quota decisions, and create a real-time depredation reporting app. Directs pilot programs to boost depleted fish stocks (e.g., Atlantic Striped Bass) and streamline Trust Fund projects. Directs Interior to create a "Reef-in-Place" program converting decommissioned oil/gas platforms into artificial reefs, and the MABA Commission to form a Restoration Coordination Working Group for habitat restoration efforts. Directs State, Commerce, Interior, and the USTR to reduce barriers to sustainable shark fisheries. Stated rationale: The release argues federal fisheries management has historically prioritized restricting access over supporting industry, and that modernized data collection and state partnerships can enable responsible management without such restrictions. It cites the outdoor recreation sector's $1.2 trillion annual economic impact and 5 million supported jobs. Cited administration history: Day-one 2025 memorandum pausing offshore wind projects to protect fishing industry interests. Proclamations in April 2025, February 2026, and June 2026 restoring fishing access in Marine National Monuments. An April 2025 executive order establishing the "America First Seafood Strategy." July 2025 order establishing the MABA Commission. Claims NOAA has used the Magnuson-Stevens Act to deregulate fishing operations, reverse closures, and raise harvest quotas. Note: This is an administration-authored release; framing of past fisheries policy as "overreach" and claims of economic benefit reflect the administration's characterization rather than independent assessment.