Trump’s MABA Commission—A Lifeline for Fishermen?

Two people on a boat navigating a misty lake

American fishermen are finally fighting back against foreign industrial fleets that have been pillaging our waters while bureaucrats looked the other way for decades.

Story Highlights

  • Coalition of U.S. fishermen launches “Make America Fish Again” campaign demanding executive action
  • Foreign industrial fishing threatens American jobs and destroys critical marine ecosystems
  • Campaign targets foreign menhaden fishing operations devastating the Chesapeake Bay
  • Trump administration’s new MABA Commission could provide pathway for fishing industry relief

Patriots Take a Stand Against Foreign Exploitation

This is exactly what we’ve been talking about for years, folks. While previous administrations sat on their hands, foreign industrial fishing operations have been strip-mining our coastal waters, destroying American livelihoods, and decimating the very ecosystems that support our fishing communities. The “Make America Fish Again” campaign launched in August 2025 represents a coalition of charter captains, commercial fishermen, and recreational fishing advocates who have had enough of watching foreign fleets exploit our resources while American families struggle to make ends meet.

These hardworking Americans are demanding that President Trump issue an executive order restricting foreign industrial fishing in U.S. waters. It’s about time someone stood up for the people who actually built this country’s fishing industry instead of kowtowing to international interests that couldn’t care less about American workers or our marine environment.

The Menhaden Crisis Exposes Foreign Greed

Let’s talk about what’s really happening here. Foreign fishing companies are specifically targeting menhaden, a critical forage fish that forms the foundation of our marine food webs. These aren’t just any fish we’re talking about – menhaden are essential to the health of our entire Atlantic coastal ecosystem, including the legendary Chesapeake Bay. When foreign industrial fleets vacuum up these fish with their massive operations, they’re essentially pulling the rug out from under every other species that depends on them for survival.

The environmental left loves to lecture us about conservation, but where are they when foreign corporations are literally destroying our marine ecosystems for profit? It’s crickets from the same people who want to shut down American energy production and manufacturing. The hypocrisy is stunning, but not surprising. American fishermen understand real conservation – sustainable practices that protect both livelihoods and the environment for future generations.

Trump’s MABA Commission Offers Hope for Common Sense Solutions

Here’s where things get interesting. President Trump established the “Make America Beautiful Again” Commission in July 2025, chaired by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. This commission is focused on expanding access to public lands and waters while reducing the regulatory barriers that have strangled American outdoor recreation and resource industries for decades. Finally, we have an administration that understands the difference between sensible stewardship and bureaucratic stranglehold.

The timing couldn’t be better. The MABA Commission represents exactly the kind of America First approach that prioritizes our citizens and our resources over international agreements that benefit everyone except Americans. This isn’t about destroying the environment – it’s about protecting American interests and ensuring that our natural resources serve our people first.

Decades of Failed Policies Come Home to Roost

The Magnuson-Stevens Act was supposed to protect our fisheries from exactly this kind of exploitation, but like so many federal programs, it became another bureaucratic maze that foreign operators learned to navigate while American fishermen got buried in red tape. Previous administrations treated our fishing industry like an afterthought, more concerned with international opinion than the livelihoods of American families who depend on these waters.

The fishing community’s unified response proves that when American workers are pushed to the breaking point, they’ll fight back. Commercial and recreational fishing interests don’t always see eye to eye, but they’re standing together because they recognize an existential threat when they see one. This is what happens when hardworking Americans get tired of being sold out by their own government.

Sources:

Southern Maryland Chronicle – Make America Fish Again Targets Industrial Overfishing

White House Fact Sheet – President Donald J. Trump Establishes Make America Beautiful Again

The Daily Signal – Make America Fish Again Campaign Urges Policy Review