Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation
- Executive Order Number
- 14430
- President
- Donald Trump
- Signed
- September 17, 2026
- Published
- September 22, 2026
- Source
- Federal Register
- Original Document
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-22/pdf/2026-19417.pdf
AI-Generated Summary
Executive Order Summary: Modernizing Federal Fisheries Management for Recreational Fishing
Purpose This order directs federal agencies to prioritize marine recreational fishing in ocean, coastal, and public land decisions. It aims to modernize data collection, reduce regulatory burdens on anglers and charter operators, expand access, and integrate recreational fishing considerations into fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, while aligning with prior orders on seafood competitiveness and the Make America Beautiful Again Commission.
Key Actions or Directives
- Agencies must partner with states and the private sector to rebuild data collection systems, eliminate unnecessary access restrictions, and integrate state-level data into federal decisions.
- The Secretary of Commerce must review and potentially revise National Standards Guidelines 1 and 2 within 180 days.
- NOAA shall phase out unreliable mail-in surveys, deploy mandatory/voluntary mobile apps for real-time electronic reporting, and create a modernized federal data architecture.
- Establish a data-replacement threshold based on Percent Standard Error (PSE) to substitute higher-accuracy state data for MRIP where appropriate.
- Create an Interagency Shark and Pinniped Depredation Task Force, a Federal Outer Continental Shelf Reef-in-Place Program for artificial reefs, and a 5-year strategic plan for recreational economic data.
- Agencies must suspend/revise restrictive regulations, transition to multi-year permits with presumptions of renewal, and develop a unified “One-Stop” interagency permit portal.
- Prioritize Sport Fish Restoration funds and reduce duplicative habitat restoration efforts.
Significant Changes to Policy or Law The order shifts federal posture from access restrictions to active empowerment of recreational fishing. It introduces mechanisms to replace federal MRIP data with state data under defined error thresholds, mandates technological modernization of catch/effort estimates, and establishes new programs for artificial reefs and depredation reporting. It does not amend statutes but directs regulatory reviews and implementation consistent with existing law (e.g., 16 U.S.C. §§ 1801 et seq.).
Potential Impacts
- Agencies: Requires NOAA, Interior, Agriculture, Army Corps, and others to revise permitting, data systems, and interagency coordination within strict timelines (30–180 days).
- Citizens and Industry: Expands recreational access, reduces permitting burdens for boaters/anglers, and incorporates economic value of recreational fishing into quota and management decisions.
- International Relations: Directs review of treaties and CITES listings to address shark depredation barriers.
Main Stakeholders Affected Recreational anglers, charter/for-hire operators, coastal communities, state fisheries agencies, commercial fishing interests, offshore energy and oil/gas sectors, marine mammal and shark management entities, and federal agencies including NOAA, USFWS, and the Coast Guard.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The order operates within existing statutory authority and explicitly preserves agency discretion and appropriations limits. It emphasizes “best scientific information available” (National Standard 2) through data substitution and electronic reporting. No new enforceable rights are created. Implementation remains subject to applicable law and interagency coordination requirements.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.