President Trump declares National Scallops Day as White House cites NOAA action opening Georges Bank to scallop fishing

President Donald Trump declared Thursday as “National Scallops Day,” framing the day as a celebration of an action by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to allow scallop fishing in waters off New England. In a message shared on Truth Social, the President said the step “will open up the Northern Edge of Georges Bank to Scallops Fishing,” and he said it would “fulfill the dream” of “Great Fishermen” he described as having been “so badly treated” by the Obama and Biden administrations.

The President’s declaration tied the NOAA action to the Georges Bank fishing area, a shallow submarine plateau located off the coast of New England and larger than the entire state of Massachusetts, according to the NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment referenced in the report. The assessment describes Georges Bank as having an “extensive food web” that has supported commercial fisheries for centuries.

The Hill reported that White House trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro said the administration is lowering regulatory burdens on fisheries. The report said Navarro described the NOAA change as opening the northern edge of Georges Bank to scallop fishing, while pointing to regulatory adjustments the administration says have constrained access under prior administrations.

While the report said the habitat research area of Georges Bank has been subject to year-round restrictions, including a closure to gear in contact with the ocean bottom and towing restrictions from fishing vessels, it also noted questions about the scope of any changes. The Hill said it reached out to the administration to clarify whether those restrictions are being scrapped, but that clarification was not included in the account.

In addition to the NOAA-based rationale, the President’s posted statement took direct aim at former President Barack Obama and former President Joe Biden, blaming them for how the fisheries were managed. The report characterized the proclamation as both a public-facing commemoration and an argument about which administration oversaw fisheries policy.

A separate practical implication raised in the report is the potential effect on the availability of scallops for consumers. The President said the move “will mean millions more pounds of beautiful Wild Scallops a year on the kitchen table of Americans,” linking the administration’s fisheries policy to food supply and demand.

The White House action comes through a declared day, but it is presented as connected to a specific NOAA policy change affecting where scallops can be fished. The next step for understanding the full effect will depend on what NOAA formally changed, including whether the year-round habitat research restrictions remain in place and how any new access rules would be enforced at sea.

The Hill reported the President’s declaration on the same day as NOAA-related questions surfaced, with the administration emphasizing reduced regulatory burdens and broader access. As with other NOAA management actions, the fisheries impact will hinge on the effective dates, the geographic boundaries of any open areas, and the compliance and enforcement approach for regulated vessels.