MONTAUK, NY — A coalition of New England fishermen is calling on Elon Musk and the decentralized watchdog group DOGE to intervene in what it says is a regulatory chokehold by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), threatening the survival of America’s fishing industry.
In a letter sent this week, the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) blames NOAA’s ballooning bureaucracy and environmental overreach for crippling fisheries and driving U.S. fishermen out of business. The group specifically targets NOAA’s $7.3 billion budget and its Office for Coastal Management, which it says has been “overrun with environmentalist groups that do not understand fishing.”
“Overregulation by climate-focused, ideological bureaucrats is destroying the fishing industry, making it nearly impossible for working-class fishermen to make a living,” the letter states. “This is precisely that type of issue that DOGE was designed to tackle.”
Among the reforms NEFSA is demanding: elimination of NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, a full review of the Endangered Species Act as applied by NOAA Fisheries, modernization of NOAA’s data collection systems, and a reallocation of NOAA’s funding toward industry support rather than oversight.
Accusations of regulatory overreach
The group says outdated and inaccurate data have led to flawed management decisions, while NOAA’s environmental priorities have opened the door for foreign fishing fleets to dominate the global seafood market. They argue that U.S. fishermen now face impossible quotas and restrictions while competitors abroad operate under lax or nonexistent regulations.
NEFSA also claims that NOAA’s current approach has failed to meaningfully protect marine ecosystems, suggesting that excessive regulation has produced economic damage without measurable environmental benefit.
Key Points
- NEFSA calls on Elon Musk and DOGE to investigate and reform NOAA’s fisheries regulation
- Fishermen blame $7.3B federal agency for overregulating U.S. industry while aiding foreign competitors
- Demands include eliminating NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and overhauling outdated data systems