Trump administration aims to cut regulations on US commercial fishing

Scallop fishing had been banned in the New England waters since 1994 on account of overfishing.Massive overfishing in parts of the Georges Bank brought some fish populations to the brink of extinction [File: Robert F Bukaty/AP Photo]Published On 2 Jul 2026The administration of United States President Donald Trump is slashing commercial fishing regulations from coast to coast, including reopening New England waters to scallop fishing that was banned after overfishing.“We’re opening the Atlantic and the Pacific, and the American consumers are going to benefit from what we’re doing now,” White House adviser Peter Navarro said in a briefing with reporters on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4US job growth slows in June; hospitality sheds roles despite World Cuplist 2 of 4How the North American heatwave could impact the FIFA World Cuplist 3 of 4UK’s likely next PM Andy Burnham faces defence funding gaplist 4 of 4Supermarket chaos for air conditioner sale in France amid heatwaveend of listThe US Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced regional priorities that the government said were designed to revitalise the seafood sector.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he was declaring a national scallops day to celebrate the action by NOAA.He added, “I have opened up the Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Seas to our Fishermen, and freed them from ridiculous Environmental restrictions that allowed other countries to take advantage of the United States’ Waters under Barack Hussein Obuma, Sleepy Joe Biden, and the Dumocrats. It is my Great Honor to have done so because I am the Fishermen’s Friend — GO OUT AND VOTE REPUBLICAN IN THE MIDTERMS, BECAUSE IF THE COMMUNISTS GET IN, YOU’LL NEVER FISH AGAIN!”It was not clear how NOAA planned to implement these priorities or how long it would take, given their scope.The moves follow an April 2025 executive order from Trump aimed at increasing domestic seafood production by directing the Commerce Department to loosen regulations and by opening marine monuments to commercial fishing. Marine monuments are designated to protect areas of the marine environment. They are managed by NOAA and other partners.“The goal was really simple: We need to defend our domestic fishing industry, promote productive harvest of our resources and boost the great American fishermen,” a senior administration official said.Access to scallop fishingThe desire to ease restrictions on scallop fishing came out of an Oval Office meeting between Trump and scallop fishermen, who complained they were not allowed to fish in parts of Georges Bank, Navarro said.Georges Bank is an area between Cape Cod in Massachusetts in the US and Cape Sable Island in Nova Scotia in Canada. The northern edge of those waters off the coast of New England is closed to scallop fishing.“We’re going to fix that in an environmentally sensitive way, and in a conservation way. It’s going to be done systematically,” Navarro said.The process will involve input from the New England Fishery Management Council, he said.Officials closed a large segment of fishing grounds in Georges Bank in 1994. That year, a National Marine Fisheries Service assessment of cod stock on Georges Bank found a 40 percent decline over four years, and concluded that the fishing fleet was about twice the size that Georges Bank could sustain, according to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.The New England Fishery Management Council voted in 2024 not to reopen those fishing grounds, which are also spawning grounds for Atlantic cod, to protect the long-term productivity of scallops.The council discussed restarting work to consider scallop fishing on the Georges Bank northern edge, but decided not to add it to its 2026 priorities, said spokesman Alexander Dunn. He said this issue may come up again at its September meeting.Georges Bank is part of a chain of plateaus submerged in shallow waters that were rich fishing grounds until massive overfishing brought some fish populations to the brink of extinction, according to the museum.Other actions prioritised by NOAA include evaluating restrictions, permit policies, accountability measures, boundaries and stock definitions along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and along the Pacific coast.America’s $320bn fishing industry relies on NOAA to manage coastal fisheries. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service develops management plans for 45 fisheries, setting quotas and determining the start and close of fishing seasons, in consultation with federal government scientists and local fishermen.