President Trump has signed an Executive Order aimed at restoring American seafood competitiveness through regulatory reform, increased domestic production and exports, and action against unfair foreign trade practices. The order focuses on eliminating unsafe imports, promoting ethical sourcing, and ensuring the integrity of the seafood supply chain.
The order directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify and reduce burdensome regulations on fisheries within 30 days. In collaboration with other federal agencies, the Secretary will also revise or rescind recent expansions of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to better target high-risk shipments from countries that violate international fishing laws. The plan also includes improvements to port inspections to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) seafood from entering the market and adopting advanced technology to detect foreign fishery-related violations.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has been tasked to modernize fishery assessments with more cost-effective technology, expand fishing permit programs, and improve data systems for real-time ocean management.
A new America First Seafood Strategy will be developed to promote U.S. seafood production, expand domestic and global marketing efforts, and educate consumers about seafood’s health benefits.
The administration will also review existing marine national monuments for potential reopening to commercial fishing, where consistent with historic conservation goals.
In a related proclamation, President Trump has authorized the reopening of areas within the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) to commercial fishing by U.S.-flagged vessels, supporting economic growth in American Samoa.
The full text and details of the order are below:
Executive Order: Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores American Seafood Competitiveness
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Unleashes American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific