Restoring American Saltwater Angling And Recreation

Federal fisheries rules, quotas, and seasons would place greater weight on recreational fishing, State data, and economic effects. The order also seeks to reduce regulatory delays for anglers, charter operators, boaters, and reef projects.

What the order does ​

• Directs agencies to remove unnecessary fishing-access restrictions and review regulations burdening boaters, anglers, and outdoor businesses.
• Orders NOAA to modernize catch reporting with mobile applications, real-time data systems, and an evaluation of whether mail-in surveys should be phased out.
• Requires consideration of State data when Federal recreational catch estimates have higher error rates.
• Directs Commerce to review Federal fishery-management guidelines, launch at least two data or management pilots, and create a five-year recreational fisheries economic-data plan.
• Directs agencies to consider permits lasting at least three years with presumed renewal and to pursue a unified Federal special-use permit portal within one year.
• Creates an Outer Continental Shelf program to convert qualifying decommissioned offshore structures, excluding offshore wind facilities, into artificial reefs.
• Establishes an interagency task force and real-time reporting protocol to address shark and pinniped depredation and barriers to sustainable shark harvests.
• Directs Interior and the Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce delays in Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund disbursements and coordinates habitat-restoration work.

Who it affects ​

• Recreational anglers, charter captains, for-hire operators, boaters, and coastal outdoor businesses.
• Commercial fishing interests, State fisheries agencies, and Federal fishery managers.
• Offshore structure owners and leaseholders seeking approval to convert decommissioned facilities into artificial reefs.
• Coastal communities, shoreside support businesses, and marine conservation and restoration programs.