The White House has issued a sweeping executive order to boost domestic seafood production and aquaculture, aiming to restore the United States' global competitiveness in the seafood sector. The new policy directive focuses on easing regulatory burdens, combating unfair foreign trade practices, and expanding the country’s capacity to produce, process, and export seafood—especially aquaculture products.
Under the order, the Secretary of Commerce is tasked with reviewing and revising regulations that overly burden the aquaculture, commercial fishing, and fish processing industries. This includes a directive to identify the most heavily overregulated fisheries and collaborate with regional management councils to reduce red tape, stabilize markets, and improve economic profitability. The National Marine Fisheries Service is also directed to modernize data collection methods, incorporate cost-effective technologies, and expand experimental fishing permits to promote innovation in aquaculture operations.
A cornerstone of the order is the creation of an “America First Seafood Strategy,” developed in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to promote domestic seafood—including aquaculture—in nutrition programs, marketing campaigns, and export initiatives. The strategy aims to bolster domestic seafood processing and raise consumer awareness about the health benefits of American-produced fish and shellfish.
On the trade front, the administration plans to develop a comprehensive seafood trade strategy targeting unfair practices like illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, forced labor in foreign supply chains, and non-tariff barriers that disadvantage U.S. producers. Officials are also reviewing expansions to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program to better focus enforcement on high-risk foreign shipments.
This initiative comes in response to a seafood trade deficit exceeding $20 billion and a domestic market where nearly 90% of seafood is imported. The new measures aim to reclaim U.S. leadership in the global seafood market while supporting sustainable aquaculture growth and coastal economies.
