Angling for New Ideas: NOAA Fisheries Seeks Public Comment on Boosting American Seafood Competitiveness

Implementing President Trump’s Executive Order 14276 titled Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,¹ the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is soliciting public comments on how to improve fisheries management, decrease regulatory barriers, and strengthen the competitiveness of the nation’s seafood industry. 

Specifically, NMFS is asking the public to weigh in on four issues: (1) regulatory changes to reduce burdens on heavily regulated domestic fisheries, (2) innovative ways to improve management and meet legal requirements, (3) how NMFS can incorporate modern technology into its management programs and encourage modernization within the domestic fishing fleet, and (4) expansion of the exempted fishing permit program.  

For purposes of providing comments, NMFS organized fisheries into the following categories: multispecies fisheries (e.g., Alaska and New England groundfish, and South Atlantic reef fish), shellfish, Atlantic and Pacific highly migratory species, and other pelagics (e.g., squid, mackerel). NMFS is also requesting that commenters identify the costs to both the government and industry for any proposed regulatory changes. 

The public comment period is open for 45 days and closes on 14 October 2025. NMFS will also be hosting two virtual listening sessions on Thursday, 25 September 2025, from 4:30-5:30 PM EST, and Wednesday, 1 October 2025, from 4:30-5:30 PM EST in order to receive additional comments.²

This public comment period presents a unique opportunity for the public and industry to directly request regulatory changes from NMFS. The firm's lawyers are available to help interested parties navigate these developments and develop comments.