NOAA Fisheries is calling on the seafood industry and the public to provide input on a sweeping initiative aimed at strengthening U.S. seafood competitiveness and increasing the share of American seafood on American tables.
The effort follows the April 17, 2025, Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, which directs the Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries to take bold action to revitalize the U.S. seafood sector. Between 2019 and 2023, domestic landings fell by nearly 1 billion pounds, highlighting the urgency of this work.
“Through our implementation of the President’s Executive Order, NOAA Fisheries is aiming to address the recent decline in fisheries landings and revenues,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, Assistant Administrator of NOAA Fisheries. “We look forward to receiving input from the public.”
Planned actions under consideration include:
- Reviewing regulations for fisheries with significant declines in landings or revenues
- Reassessing fishing restrictions in certain marine national monuments
- Updating the U.S. Seafood Trade Strategy to reflect global market shifts
- Advancing the use of modern data collection technologies
- Developing an interagency America First Seafood Strategy
NOAA Fisheries is seeking specific feedback from the commercial fishing and seafood industries on:
- Federal regulations that could be revised, suspended, or rescinded
- Industry challenges and innovative ideas for improving fisheries management
- Cost-effective technologies and cooperative research for better stock assessments
- Modernizing data collection to respond more quickly to changing ocean conditions
- Tools and information U.S. fishing businesses need to adapt to environmental and economic pressures
- Expanding exempted fishing permit programs to support new opportunities
The public comment period is open through Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
Click here for full details on the call for public comments.