A new executive order is bringing saltwater recreational fishing into greater focus at the federal level, with an emphasis on improving fisheries data, strengthening state and federal coordination, and better recognizing the role recreational anglers play in our nation’s fisheries.
Announced September 17, the “Restoring America’s Saltwater Angling and Recreation” Executive Order directs federal agencies to examine how fisheries data are collected and used, expand electronic and mobile reporting, and incorporate more timely catch, effort, and observational information into fisheries management.
For TBF and our community of anglers, the focus on better science and better data is important. The future of recreational fishing depends on reliable and accurate information to understand where fish are, how they move, how they interact with their environment, and how fishing pressure and other factors affect populations.
The order also highlights the important issue of predator depredation. For offshore anglers, the loss or damage of hooked fish to sharks and marine mammals can be a significant challenge. The order calls for increased research and coordination on depredation, as well as advancing technologies that may help detect and avoid marine mammal interactions (like those developed by Garmin and Viking). Better information on these interactions could help managers better understand sources of fish loss and improve the science used to evaluate fisheries.
The order also calls for stronger coordination between state and federal fisheries managers and recognizes the economic contributions of recreational fishing, including charter operations and the businesses that support anglers.
It is important to note that the executive order does not itself change fishing regulations, seasons, bag limits, or access to federal fisheries. Instead, it establishes priorities and directs federal agencies to take specific steps, conduct reviews, improve coordination, and develop approaches consistent with existing law.
The practical impact will depend on what agencies do next, so TBF will continue to follow these developments closely, particularly where they intersect with billfish conservation, recreational fishing opportunities, fisheries science, and predator depredation.
