NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Charts Course to Strengthen Support for Marine Communities and Coastal Economies

It’s been 2 months since I stepped into my role as NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for Fisheries. And while the position is new, I’m very familiar with the mission and the communities we serve.

My connection to NOAA Fisheries goes back decades. You could say it began when I was a kid. My father, an entrepreneur, brought tuna processing plants to our western Puerto Rico town. I watched these plants and the jobs they created raise up the local economy. I later spent more than 30 years as a commercial fisherman and business owner, eventually stepping aside so my son could lead the business into its next chapter. Along the way, I was fortunate to be part of several fishery management bodies, cooperative research projects, and conservation organizations.

These experiences shaped how I understand NOAA Fisheries’ mission—not as something distant or abstract, but as work that directly touches lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems today and in the future. I take this responsibility seriously and am committed to ensuring we meet the needs of our nation by prioritizing reliable data, sound science, and strong partnerships. 

The United States has one of the most successful marine stewardship systems in the world, thanks to our participatory, science-based management regime. In fact, highlights from a recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations demonstrate our standing as an international leader for well-managed fisheries. Globally, 64.5 percent of stocks are not overfished. In the United States, 84 percent of our stocks are not overfished. With 51 stocks rebuilt since 2001, the United States has a track record that proves our science-based system works. That foundation gives us a real opportunity to not only expand on our successes domestically, but to export our expertise in science, management, and enforcement to global partners. 

The President’s Executive Order on Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness is just one example of how we can harness our strengths to improve the lives—and economies—of our coastal communities and all those who depend on them for safe, healthy seafood. In recent years, the seafood industry has faced increasing pressures from global competition, evolving market demands, and impacts from changing ocean conditions. We have the tools and expertise to boost domestic seafood production, reduce the seafood trade deficit, and strengthen resilience across the entire supply chain, and we will employ them.

But of course, we cannot do this alone, and we can always improve. I look forward to working with government partners, regional fishery management councils, industry stakeholders, and local communities to propel our progress. I have already learned so much from the many constituents I’ve met with, and I look forward to continuing those conversations. With the help of emerging technologies, cooperative research, and the expertise of our fishing communities, we will ensure future generations inherit a system even better than the one we manage today.

Eugenio Piñeiro Soler
Assistant Administrator, NOAA Fisheries