Olivia Asher is a reporter at the New Herald Tribune covering breaking news for the Digital Trends Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Plain Dealer.
September 20 , 2026
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing federal agencies to reduce restrictions on recreational fishing, expand state involvement in fisheries management and modernize the collection of catch data. In a provision added to the order, the administration also authorized the use of .22-caliber rifles to shoot fish in certain federally managed fisheries, setting off an immediate debate among anglers, conservationists and federal officials.
The order, signed Sept. 17, calls for federal agencies to review regulations that the administration says unnecessarily burden boaters, anglers and outdoor businesses. It directs the Commerce Department to examine federal fisheries-management guidelines and encourages greater use of state-collected data in setting seasons and quotas.
The order also calls for new electronic reporting systems, expanded recreational-fishing data collection and pilot programs involving depleted fish stocks. A separate section directs federal officials to establish a program for converting certain decommissioned offshore structures into artificial reefs.
The rifle provision represents a more dramatic departure from conventional fishing practices. Under the new rule, federally managed fisheries could designate specific areas where anglers would be permitted to use .22-caliber rifles to harvest fish from the surface, subject to species-specific limits and safety requirements.
Administration officials described the measure as an effort to expand recreational opportunities and give anglers another method of harvesting fish. Critics, meanwhile, questioned how rifle use could be reconciled with existing safety requirements, conservation measures and restrictions governing federal waters.
The debate comes amid broader changes to federal fisheries policy under the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the administration supported expanded recreational access to Atlantic red snapper through state-managed programs. That effort was subsequently interrupted by a federal court injunction, illustrating the legal and regulatory disputes surrounding changes to federal fisheries management.
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