Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation

What it does

• •Directs federal agencies to review and revise National Standards Guidelines under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, particularly standards on Optimum Yield and Best Scientific Information Available, to better account for recreational fisheries characteristics.
• •Mandates modernization of federal recreational catch-and-effort data collection by transitioning to mobile applications and real-time electronic reporting systems, replacing antiquated mail-in survey methods.
• •Establishes a data-replacement threshold allowing states to substitute their own recreational catch-and-effort data for federal NOAA data when state data has lower statistical error rates.
• •Requires development of a 5-year strategic plan to improve collection and application of recreational fisheries economic data in federal management decisions, and initiation of at least two pilot programs testing innovative data collection approaches.

Why it matters

• •The order states that federal restrictions on recreational fishing access have been based on inaccurate data collection methods, and improved data systems are needed for responsible and accurate fishery management decisions.
• •Recreational fishing generates over $1.2 trillion annually and supports over 5 million jobs; the order directs agencies to elevate marine recreational fishing as an important consideration in federal ocean and coastal decision-making.

Who is affected

• •Recreational anglers, charter fishing operators, for-hire fishing businesses, and coastal communities dependent on recreational fishing industries.
• •Federal agencies including NOAA, the Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, and the Army Corps of Engineers, which must implement the directives.

What happens next

The Secretary of Commerce must review National Standards Guidelines within 180 days, multiple agencies must initiate regulatory actions within 30-60 days, and NOAA must develop and implement modernized data collection systems and a comprehensive 5-year strategic plan.