Recreational Fishing Gear, Bottom Trawls & Pelagic Longline Gear Are NOT the Same!!

With the recent Executive Order (EO), recreational fishing gear, bottom trawls, and pelagic longline are viewed the same as all other fishing gear when it comes to designating Marine Protected Areas (MPA). The EO, signed by Biden, calls for closing 30% of U.S. ocean waters to fishing, including recreational fishing, by 2030 through the MPAs. This is not the first time such a strategy has been raised, very large marine protected areas in various regulatory (marine monuments, wildlife refuges, sanctuaries, marine reserves, etc) forms have preceded the current initiative. Through the US Ocean Action Policy in 2006, the