Fisheries management and fisheries processing are shifting under the Trump administration, and some of the changes are significant, a new report shows.
The report, released Thursday by the Hudson Valley Fisheries Management Society, outlines the steps to be taken by the administration and the industry to address challenges in both management and processing.
The Trump administration is taking steps to overhaul the fishery management process to reduce the risk of human error and to improve efficiency and accountability.
The agency has already taken several steps to address the problems outlined in the report.
In its budget request, the administration has requested $50 million to improve the performance of the federal fisheries management system.
In addition, the president is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday that will make it easier for fisheries managers to file a claim against a fishery if it has not been certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“The administration is looking to make these types of investments to address human error, improve efficiency, and reduce the risks of human safety and property damage,” said David W. Grier, director of the National Center for Public Policy Research.
“We know from past experience that when you take steps to reduce risk, you increase the quality of fishery.”
In response to the Trump budget, the Hudson County Executive’s Office and the American Fisheries Society, which represents the county’s fishermen, announced they will hold a community meeting to discuss the report, as well as the potential actions to be undertaken by the Trump Administration.
The American Fisheries Association also has announced that it will hold another community meeting on the issue.
In addition, New York State is looking at whether to require all fishery processing facilities in New York to report any problems with fish stocks to the state, the governor’s office said in a statement.
“We must take every step to prevent harm and to protect the health and welfare of the people of New York,” the statement said.
“New York State’s fishery safety and welfare is the number one priority for the state.”
The Hudson Valley’s fisheries, which include the counties of Hudson and New York, are one of the state’s largest commercial fisheries, with over 5,500 million pounds of catch annually.
In 2016, New Yorkers invested $30 million in the fisheries industry.
The report found that by 2022, the industry’s value would be nearly $100 billion, and that the industry would generate $60 billion in economic activity, including $20 billion in payroll and $12 billion in new jobs.