U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at expanding domestic seafood production by loosening federal regulations and reopening protected marine areas to commercial fishing, according to a White House announcement.
The move is part of Trump’s ongoing push to reduce what he describes as burdensome regulations on American businesses. The order instructs the Commerce Department to streamline rules that impact the fishing industry, with a focus on increasing U.S. seafood exports and curbing reliance on imports.
In the official statement, the White House emphasized that the order “strengthens the U.S. fishing industry by reducing regulatory burdens, combating unfair foreign trade practices, and enhancing domestic seafood production and exports.”
Despite having jurisdiction over more than four million square miles of ocean, the U.S. imports nearly 90% of its seafood—resulting in a trade deficit of over $20 billion, the administration noted. Trump also issued a separate proclamation opening up 400,000 acres of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument—located south and west of Hawaii—to commercial fishing for the first time in years.
The executive order has drawn attention to the $320 billion American fishing industry, which depends heavily on oversight by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service plays a key role in regulating 45 fisheries across U.S. waters by setting quotas, seasons, and sustainability plans under a 1976 law. These decisions are made in consultation with scientists and local fishing communities.
While the order is expected to boost economic activity and seafood exports, critics warn it may undermine environmental protections and scientific research funded by NOAA, especially as recent budget cuts threaten key marine data collection programs.