“Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness”, the new Executive Order signed by US President Donald Trump aimed at revitalising the seafood industry in the United States, has had a mixed reception from stakeholders.
As recently reported by WF, the order, dated 17 April 2025, will seek to place high tariffs on imported seafood and calls for a review of existing federal regulations that have limited the growth of domestic fisheries. In it, Trump states that overregulation and unfair trade practices have put US seafood at a competitive disadvantage.
The President highlights that almost 90% of the seafood on US store shelves is now imported, and the seafood trade deficit stands at over $20 billion.
“The United States must address unfair trade practices, eliminate unsafe imports, level the unfair playing field that has benefited foreign fishing companies, promote ethical sourcing, reduce regulatory burdens and ensure the integrity of the seafood supply chain,” he said.
Welcoming the Executive Order, National Fisheries Institute (NFI) President & CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard said in a statement that the organisation commends the President and his administration for taking a thoughtful, strategic approach to supporting American seafood production and consumption.
Wallenda Picard noted that the order “outlines key actions to benefit every link in the supply chain – from hardworking fishermen to parents who serve their family this nutritious and sustainable protein at home”.
Importantly, she said, the order calls for reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on fishermen and seafood producers while also promoting the many benefits of eating seafood as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
“NFI stands ready to support the administration in advancing this important policy initiative and improving the lives of all those who depend on the commercial seafood industry.”
Meanwhile, Washington DC-based NGO Ocean Conservancy believes the order risks driving fish stocks into decline.
Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director – Fish Conservation Programme Meredith Moore issued a statement criticising the plan, saying it would weaken, not strengthen, the US fishing industry by increasing the risk that overfishing drives the country’s fish stocks into decline – “effectively taking healthy US seafood off the menu.”
She said: “Between firing experts at NOAA, delaying fishing seasons, and disrupting ocean science and data collection, the Trump Administration is causing unprecedented chaos.
“The US fishing management system already maximises catch to the limit that science says is sustainable. Regulations support sustainable access to these public resources, and removing them risks a future where healthy ocean fish stocks are a memory. Our fisheries need more investment and support in order to tackle the issues of seafood trade and markets, modernising our data systems, and responding to real time ocean conditions. A weakened and understaffed NOAA will not be able to deliver on these promises.”
John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA, also slammed the move: “If President Trump wants to increase US fisheries production and stabilise seafood markets, deregulation will have the opposite effect. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already slashed jobs at NOAA and is threatening to dismantle the agency responsible for providing the science that makes management of US fisheries possible.”
He continued: ”Trump’s Executive Order on fishing could set us back by decades, undoing all the progress that has been made to end overfishing and rebuild fish stocks and America’s fisheries. While there is far too little attention to by-catch and habitat destruction, NOAA’s record of fisheries management has made the US a world leader. Trump seems ready to throw that out the window with all the care of a toddler tossing his toys out of the crib.”
