Reducing Burdens on Domestic Fishing and Increasing Production

I have served in my role as assistant administrator of NOAA Fisheries for just over a year. In that time, I have prioritized meeting with members and leadership of each regional fishery management council and participating in as many council meetings as possible. I have done so because I truly believe in our democratic council process and have tremendous respect for the work they do and the expertise they bring to it. I learn something from each meeting I join and each constituent I speak with, but there is a common thread: Fishermen just want to fish, and they are asking for our support in overcoming the barriers preventing them from doing so.

The United States is a global leader in sustainable fisheries management. Our participatory, science-based system under 50 years of the Magnuson-Stevens Act has shown that we know how to rebuild stocks and keep them healthy. But despite this foundation, our seafood sector has faced growing pressure from global competition and evolving market demands. Americans want American seafood, but our landings have decreased since 2019. We need to put U.S. seafood first.

In fisheries, as in life, results are what matter. That is why I am eager to share the regulatory actions we have prioritized in response to the President's Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. We received input from 787 individuals and organizations, as well as detailed action plans from each of the regional fishery management councils. I believe this volume of input underscores the urgency of our shared mission and I am grateful to everyone who contributed.

After considering all input from councils, fishing industry, and the public, we have prioritized actions-many of which align with Council identified priorities-we believe will reduce burdens on domestic fishing, increase production, stabilize markets, improve access, and enhance economic profitability. Highlights of these actions, by region, include:

New England

• Implement rotational access for the Northern Edge scallop fishery
• Implement Scallop Permit Stacking
• Rescind Industry Funded Monitoring requirements
• Deprioritize advancing requirements for ropeless gear
• Evaluate vessel baseline restrictions (in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Council)
• Consider reopening the Great South Channel habitat management area to surfclam operations

Mid-Atlantic

• Evaluate vessel baseline restrictions (in conjunction with the New England Council)
• Consider joint council management for squid, mackerel, and butterfish
• Deprioritize advancing requirements for ropeless gear

South Atlantic

• Revise Snapper Grouper (SG1) permit policies (Amendment 60)
• Support state agency-led exempted fishing permits for red snapper
• Address shark and dolphin depredation

Caribbean

• Shift spiny lobster and queen conch to territorial management
• Revise accountability measures for pelagic stocks and spiny lobster
• Review effectiveness of marine protected areas (e.g., Tourmaline Bank, Abrir La Sierra)
• State-federal regulatory compatibility review

Gulf of America

• Refine Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) participation requirements (Amendments 59A/59B)
• Prioritize rulemaking to extend provisions of the DESCEND Act

Pacific

• Reconsider redundant shoreside catch monitors
• Revise Pacific sardine stock definitions

North Pacific

• Review Steller sea lion closure boundaries
• Eliminate 2 percent IFQ deduction for bled sablefish
• Prioritize rulemaking for small sablefish voluntary release and maximum retainable amount calculations

Western Pacific

• Remove shallow-set longline leatherback hard cap and strike two turtle trip limit
• Remove swordfish retention limit in deep-set longline fishery
• Remove American Samoa longline turtle mitigation measure

Highly Migratory Species

• Review weak hook requirements in the Gulf and retention of dead bluefin tuna less than 73 inches

• Reconsider upgrading restrictions for swordfish handgear limited access permit

Identifying and implementing these actions are critical steps in our efforts to fulfill the President's vision of making the United States the world's dominant seafood leader. I am grateful for our partnership with the councils and for the thorough analysis provided by their members, advisors, and extensive stakeholder engagement. I urge them to further maximize our regulatory efficiency by systematically assessing current Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), and considering the removal of species that no longer require conservation and management. As stated in the Seafood EO, I strongly encourage the council to collaborate with NOAA Fisheries on the expanded and continued use of Exempted Fishing Permits as an agile management tool to test gear innovations, enhance value-added quality, explore additional fishing opportunities, and safely increase domestic production. In some instances, these priorities may implicate other statutory requirements. Where that applies, NOAA Fisheries will work with the councils to determine how best to advance an action.

Complementing these efforts, NOAA Fisheries is actively evaluating internal actions to support these reforms. As I have said at many of the council meetings I have attended, "I will be back, and I want to come back with good news." These are the types of actions that will keep the industry moving, and that's why I do this job: to make sure we do things better. I look forward to advancing these vital reforms together with our councils and all who want to propel our industry.

Eugenio Piñeiro Soler
Assistant Administrator, NOAA Fisheries