Environmental groups are pushing back fiercely against a major new federal push to deregulate the American seafood market.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division has announced dozens of new priorities aimed at rapidly boosting the U.S. seafood industry. The federal plan includes streamlining environmental reviews, expanding offshore aquaculture, and increasing catch limits.
However, conservation groups are sounding the alarm. The Center for Biological Diversity slammed the proposal, calling it a quote, "depraved laundry list" of ways the Trump administration is willing to sacrifice ocean ecosystems. Environmentalists warn that rolling back these protections could cause permanent damage to marine habitats and vulnerable fish populations.
Meanwhile, the federal government maintains the changes are necessary to secure America's food supply and support local fishermen.
