Trump’s executive order on recreational fishing is a ‘giveaway of fish and ocean ecosystem’, advocates warn
Summary
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to prioritize recreational fishing and review fisheries rules. The order also includes plans to convert old offshore oil and gas structures into artificial reefs and creates a task force to address sharks and marine mammals taking fish from anglers.Key Facts
- The order is called Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation.
- It aims to prioritize recreational fishing in managing US marine fisheries.
- The Commerce Department will review fisheries guidelines under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
- Conservation groups worry this could weaken science-based rules on overfishing and marine protection.
- The Interior Department is tasked with converting decommissioned oil and gas platforms into artificial reefs.
- Environmental advocates say these platforms can harm ocean ecosystems by leaching chemicals and spreading invasive species.
- The order sets up an Interagency Shark and Pinniped Depredation Task Force to study fish loss caused by sharks and marine mammals.
- Some experts warn that creating artificial reefs by repurposing oil rigs may not always benefit marine life and could impact navigation and currents.
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