Recreational Fishing Policy Interim Actions

NOAA recognizes the vital importance of sustainable marine recreational fisheries to the nation's economy, coastal communities, and cultural heritage. Our commitment is rooted in ensuring the long-term health and productivity of marine ecosystems while supporting high-quality fishing opportunities for current and future generations of anglers. This dedication requires proactive stewardship, reliance on the best available science, and robust collaboration with our partners—including states, tribes, the fishing and boating industries, and the recreational angling community itself—to manage this valuable natural resource responsibly.

In advance of the 2027 National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit, NOAA is proud to highlight actions designed to operationalize the goals and guiding principles of our recently updated recreational fisheries policy. These interim steps reflect NOAA's resolve to address current challenges and enhance support for the sector, focusing on improved data collection, science, and increased engagement with the recreational anglers. These actions pave the way for a more resilient, better-understood, and sustainably managed recreational fishery. NOAA Fisheries will develop a comprehensive multi-year recreational fisheries policy implementation strategy rooted in Summit outputs. 

Interim actions include: 

Foster Stewardship

We  recognize and support an array of strategies to restore, maintain, and build healthy and resilient coastal and marine ecosystems that are foundational to recreational fisheries. 

Return ‘Em Right

Recruit and train an additional 10,000 anglers by March 2027 through Return ‘Em Right, an angler-driven initiative that tackles release mortality from barotrauma and promotes best handling practices to restore red snapper and other fish injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Community-based Restoration Program

NOAA will work with partners to restore habitat across the country, including in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. This multi-site project designed to address the loss of habitat for important recreational species is restoring more than 2,000 acres of important fisheries habitats.

Invasive Species Removal

NOAA, local anglers, and community members in Hawaii will work together to restore coastal habitat, which supports near and offshore fisheries by removing invasive mangroves from south Molokai shorelines.

Improve Access

We recognize the importance of broad public access to sustainable recreational fisheries.

Exempted Fishing Permits

NOAA will work with exempted fishing permit applicants testing novel fisheries data collection and management strategies that may lead to improved fishing opportunities. Our work will include the permit applications submitted by southeastern U.S. state agencies intended to improve data on recreational fishing effort, catch, and discards of red snapper in the South Atlantic, and to inform the development of a long-term state-led management strategy for the recreational red snapper fishery.

Implement an Increased U.S. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quota

During fierce negotiations at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in late 2025, the United States secured a bluefin tuna quota increase of 14.7 percent. Implementation of the new quota in 2026 will increase the bluefin tuna Angling category quota by nearly 100,000 pounds, improving angler access.

Revise Black Sea Bass Recreational Management Measures 

NOAA will support the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s work to liberalize black sea bass recreational management measures for 2026–2027 (pending rulemaking) through the new flexible Recreational Measures Framework. This will provide anglers better opportunities to access the very healthy black sea bass stock.

Promote Participation 

We recognize the need to foster the next generation of recreational fishermen. 

Military and Veteran Fishing Clinics

In partnership with Force Blue, NOAA will sponsor science, conservation work, and fishing clinics in and around national marine sanctuaries educating participants about the National Marine Sanctuary system and promoting sustainable fishing. 

Partner on a NOAA Fish Camp

NOAA will work with recreational fishing businesses and high schools to host a “fish camp” dedicated to teaching students and the next generation of anglers how to fish, collect fisheries data, and how those data are used in fishery management.

Pacific Islands Science

Community participation in fishery data collection and science activities is critical to achieving successful outcomes. Through 2027, NOAA will work to increase non-commercial fishing community participation in developing, planning, and implementing data collection and workshops for fish stock assessments in Hawaii and Pacific Islands.    

Increase Engagement

We recognize the need to build public confidence in and expand understanding of the federal science and management processes.

Marine Resources Education Program

NOAA supported a program expansion to include all regions of the country in 2025. We are excited to continue our support of the Marine Resources Education Program, a program by fishermen, for fishermen, that provides participants with the knowledge, tools, and connections to effectively engage in federal fisheries science and management processes.

National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit and Regional Discussions

In 2026, NOAA is hosting a series of conversations with recreational fishermen across the nation to understand angler priorities, maintain lines of communication, and inform the 2027 Summit discussion agenda.

Cooperative Fish Tagging

Since 1954, NOAA Fisheries’ Cooperative Tagging Center has collaborated with more than 45,000 charter captains, anglers, and commercial fishermen to tag and release fish species of interest, including with high-resolution pop-off satellite tags. We are poised to expand engagement in 2026 to teach anglers more about fisheries science, collect additional data, and encourage stewardship of our fisheries. 

Strengthen Partnerships 

We recognize that improved fisheries science and management is best achieved through collaboration and partnership.

Recreational Angler Partnership Improvement Directive

This directive is driving the transition from the Marine Recreational Information Program to a new recreational fishing data enterprise that will improve trust and confidence in recreational fishing data and management. Built through partnership, the improved system will be built on a strong state-federal partnership and combine available and approved recreational catch and effort data for use by assessment scientists and decision makers.

Cooperative Research with Recreational Fishermen

NOAA will continue and expand on-the-water collaboration with recreational fishermen across the country to improve fisheries science and management. Projects including genetic sampling, age, growth, and species composition, and testing innovative gear and techniques, will improve scientific understanding and build trust between NOAA and fishermen.

Gulf Recreational Fishing Initiative

This NOAA-sponsored partnership with anglers and the Gulf Council explored innovative management approaches and developed six prioritized goals for the future of recreational reef fish management in 2025. With two of the six goals addressed by the Council, NOAA will continue working with anglers and our partners to address the remaining goals. 

Advance Innovative Solutions

NOAA Fisheries recognizes its responsibility to lead and facilitate development of transformational technologies and techniques.

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Close-Kin Mark-Recapture Genetic Research

NOAA will continue partnering with the University of Maine, recreational and commercial fishermen to collect and analyze genetic samples from Atlantic bluefin tuna. These samples allow analysis of genetic relationships among fish across their entire range, and development of abundance estimates for this important fishery for recreational anglers.

Recreational Quota Entity Program

NOAA will implement a new voluntary, market-based system that allows for compensated allocation shifts in the Alaska halibut fishery. The innovative system addresses the changing needs of guided recreational and commercial Pacific halibut fisheries off Alaska.

Bioeconomic Length-Structured Angler Simulation Tool and Recreational Management Framework

These cutting-edge tools empower recreational stakeholders using a cloud-based application and an adaptive management process. The tool is a dynamic decision support tool for assessing the benefits associated with common recreational fishing management actions. The Recreational Management Framework provides a flexible yet structured process to consider and implement stakeholder recommendations.