Saving Seafood

Fishing Regulations Are Sinking Small Businesses: Advocacy Is Fighting Back

May 29, 2026 — The following was released by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy:

Commercial fishing is woven into the fabric of American life. It feeds our communities, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and strengthens our national food security by reducing dependence on foreign-sourced seafood.

Small, owner-operated vessels and processors are the backbone of the industry. Small businesses make up 99.9 percent of all U.S. firms and employ nearly half the private-sector workforce. In fishing communities from Maine to Alaska, that share is even higher. Yet decades of overregulation make it harder for these small commercial fishing businesses to stay afloat.

On April 17, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” which stated, “Federal overregulation has restricted fishermen from productively harvesting American seafood, including through restrictive catch limits, selling our fishing grounds to foreign offshore wind companies, inaccurate and outdated fisheries data, and delayed adoption of modern technology.”

As the voice for small businesses within the federal government, the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) has been actively engaged with the American commercial fishing industry during the Trump 47 Administration by elevating their concerns to federal agencies and attending numerous nationwide in-person meetings with fishermen.

Advocacy held a panel discussion on March 16 at the 2026 Seafood Expo North America, a multi-day event with about 15,000 attendees from around the globe. After engaging with business owners in the fishing industry, the message is clear that regulatory burdens threaten the livelihoods that have sustained small family-owned fisheries for generations.

At the Seafood Expo North America, I had the opportunity to collaborate with commercial fisherman and seafood processors from across the country and to arrange a panel discussion about the regulatory burdens facing the industry. Capt. Bob Zales, Executive Director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association hosted the event, and Tyler Macallister, owner-operator of the fishing vessel (F/V) Cynthia C of Cape Cod, MA, worked with us to bring together numerous commercial seafood organizations nationwide. NOAA’s Asst. Administrator for National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Eugenio Pineiro Soler, spoke at the event and took questions. In addition, leadership from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration traveled from Washington, DC, attended and participated in this first-ever national meeting of the American commercial seafood industry at the Boston Seafood Show.

Fishermen Concerns

Zales stated, “Our shared mission is to bring long-overdue recognition to the American seafood industry as equal to America’s farmers and ranchers, and to confront the excessive regulatory burdens that hinder small, family-owned commercial fishing businesses from prospering.” USDA has heard this message and recently announced the opening of its Office of Seafood, which will work with fishermen to help them take advantage of USDA programs. Advocacy attended the April 15 event announcing the opening of the Office of Seafood, hosted by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Also present at the event were Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03).

One of the seafood industry’s most pressing concerns is the cost of onboard observer and monitoring requirements. Federal mandates require many commercial vessels to carry at-sea monitors, and the financial burden falls squarely on small operators. Revising this rule alone could save an estimated $180,900 per small business, money that could go toward crew wages, vessel maintenance, or simply keeping the lights on.

Fishermen are also deeply concerned about marine sanctuary and national monument designations that restrict access to productive fishing grounds. Rescinding overly broad designations could generate approximately $9.7 billion in cost savings for small businesses. That figure speaks for itself. The Trump Administration is addressing this concern by issuing an executive order reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument to fishing.

Further, Fishermen have shared frustrations on how federal regulations that inhibit fishermen’s and seafood processors’ ability to purchase new equipment, modernize vessels, and compete with foreign-sourced seafood impact their businesses. When regulations make it prohibitively expensive to invest in upgrades, American seafood businesses lose ground to foreign competitors who face far fewer restrictions.

Advocacy Taking Action

Advocacy has taken action to get relief for the industry. On January 7, 2026, Advocacy launched the Most Wanted Reform list, a targeted initiative identifying the federal regulations that impose the greatest burdens on small businesses and pushing for meaningful change. On March 23, 2026, we added fishing-related regulations to that list, sending a clear signal that we heard the commercial fishing industry’s concerns at the highest levels.

It is also important to carry this message back to the industries. During the Expo, we updated the audience on current deregulatory efforts, including the removal of fishing barriers in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts marine monument, proposed changes to rules for the classification of squid as a “shellfish,” and vessel speed rules.

Your Voice Matters

If you are a fisherman, a seafood processor, or a small business owner affected by federal regulations, I want to hear from you. Advocacy’s strength comes from the real-world experiences of the people we serve. Reach out to me at Janet.Fogarty@sba.gov, and I will connect you to a Regional Advocate in your area. We are here to be your voice in Washington and to fight for regulations that make sense for small businesses to prosper, not ones that sink them.

NOAA Reopens Comment Period on Suggestions for Improving Fishery and Seafood Regulations

December 2, 2025 — The following was released by the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy:

What: On December 1, 2025, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a notice in the Federal Register reopening a docket requesting comments on how to improve regulations for the fishery and seafood industries. NOAA also announced that a virtual public listening session will be held on December 8, 2025, from 4:00 – 5:00 PM ET.

Why: NOAA’s request, originally published on August 27, 2025, builds upon President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.” The EO directs the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “immediately consider suspending, revising, or rescinding regulations that overly burden America’s commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries at the fishery-specific level.”

NOAA is seeking comments on the following areas:

  • Regulations that govern fishing activities that may be suspended, revised, or rescinded.
  • Ways to improve fisheries management and science.
  • Less expensive and more reliable technologies and cooperative research which can be used to support fisheries assessments.
  • Ways to modernize data collection and analytical practices to improve the responsiveness of fisheries management to real-time ocean conditions.
  • Types of data, forecasting tools, or information products that are most needed by U.S. fishing businesses to adapt their operations effectively to changing economic and/or environmental conditions and maintain access to fishery resources.
  • Ways to expand exempted fishing permit programs to promote fishing opportunities nationwide.

The Office of Advocacy submitted a comment letter with more than 20 different recommendations to NOAA on October 14, 2025.

Action: Comments are now due December 15, 2025. Comments should be submitted via email to nmfs.seafoodstrategy@noaa.gov with “E.O. 14276 Notice Response” in the subject.

Fisheries councils respond to Trump’s executive order on restoring American seafood competitiveness

October 14, 2025 – Regional fishery management councils across the U.S. are submitting a laundry list of items they claim to be tackling or considering in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on “restoring American seafood competitiveness.”

Issued in April, the executive order instructed government officials to identify ways to improve the commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors while reducing their regulatory burden. The directive follows an executive order issued in Trump’s first term that claimed commercial fishing was heavily regulated, and encouraged the removal of “unnecessary regulatory burdens” such as “restrictive catch limits.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump admin opens public comments on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness

August 27, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries has opened a public comment period for feedback on how the agency should implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.

“Through our implementation of the President’s Executive Order, NOAA Fisheries is aiming to address the recent decline in fisheries landings and revenues,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said in a release. “We look forward to receiving input from the public.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Recommendations for Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness

August 26, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries wants to make sure more American seafood gets on American plates. We’re inviting the public to share input on how to help make that a reality.

On April 17, 2025, the President signed an Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. In response, the Department of Commerce, through NOAA Fisheries, launched a bold, coordinated effort to revitalize the U.S. seafood sector. This call for public comments is a critical step in our efforts to fulfill the President’s vision of making the United States the world’s dominant seafood leader.

In recent years, the seafood industry has faced increasing pressures from global competition, evolving market demands, and impacts from changing ocean conditions. Between 2019 and 2023, domestic landings decreased by approximately 1 billion pounds.

“Through our implementation of the President’s Executive Order, NOAA Fisheries is aiming to address the recent decline in fisheries landings and revenues,” Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, Assistant Administrator of NOAA Fisheries commented. “We look forward to receiving input from the public.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Trump Signs Executive Order to Boost U.S. Seafood Industry, Orders Review of Marine Monuments

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — April 17, 2025 — President Donald J. Trump today signed an executive order titled Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, aimed at strengthening the domestic seafood industry by reducing regulatory burdens, addressing foreign trade imbalances, and improving fisheries management.

One of the most significant provisions of the order instructs the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, to review all existing marine national monuments within 180 days. The Secretary must provide recommendations to the President on any monuments that should be opened to commercial fishing. The review must consider whether such actions would be consistent with the preservation of the historic landmarks and scientific features originally identified when the monuments were established.

The order states that the United States possesses over 4 million square miles of prime fishing grounds and that most domestic fish stocks are healthy. However, it describes the seafood sector as heavily regulated and contends that “federal overregulation” has hindered harvesting through restrictive catch limits, outdated fisheries data, and delayed adoption of modern technology.

It further highlights that approximately 90% of seafood consumed in the United States is imported, contributing to a trade deficit exceeding $20 billion. The order criticizes what it describes as unfair foreign trade practices and calls for a policy shift to support ethical sourcing and protect U.S. markets.

Key directives in the order include:

  • Regulatory Review: The Secretary of Commerce must identify the most heavily overregulated fisheries within 30 days and take action to reduce regulatory burdens, in coordination with Regional Fishery Management Councils and other partners.
  • Public Input: The Department of Commerce will solicit ideas from the public, industry members, scientists, and technology experts to improve fisheries science and management under existing federal law.
  • Technology and Data Modernization: The National Marine Fisheries Service is instructed to adopt less expensive, more reliable technologies and modernize data collection methods to better respond to real-time ocean conditions.
  • Trade Policy: A comprehensive seafood trade strategy must be developed within 60 days by the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to improve access to foreign markets and address unfair practices, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
  • Import Oversight: The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with other federal agencies, is directed to revise recent expansions of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program and improve enforcement against high-risk foreign seafood shipments.

The order also calls for the development of an “America First Seafood Strategy” to promote the production, sale, and export of U.S. seafood and to enhance public awareness of seafood’s health benefits through nutrition programs.

Read the full executive order here