STATEMENT: “There have to be fish in order to go fishing”

WASHINGTON – Today, the White House issued an Executive Order, “Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation.” Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Fisheries Conservation Meredith Moore issued the following statement:

“With hundreds of millions of saltwater trips taken each year, recreational fishing is not only a beloved American pastime and important economic engine, it’s also a critical conservation issue. 

“The Executive Order acknowledges that many recreationally important stocks around the country are seeing declines in abundance, and that improvements to data can help fuel their recovery. But the devil is in the details, and the Executive Order’s focus on increasing access is in direct tension with the realities of our declining fisheries on the water. Meanwhile, recent actions by NOAA Fisheries have threatened to permit overfishing from anglers, and very little is being done to manage the conservation impacts of the millions of fish that die after being released by recreational fishermen. 

“There have to be fish in order to go fishing. It is only by emphasizing science and sustainability that we can ensure the next generation of anglers has a chance to hook ‘the big one.’”

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For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.