Congressman Andy Harris raised concerns on April 15 about a delay by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in implementing updated recreational fishing measures, saying it could negatively affect Maryland’s Eastern Shore economy.
The issue centers on new fishing regulations developed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. These measures were submitted more than eight months ago, but NOAA recently informed stakeholders just three weeks before the start of the recreational fishing season that it would not implement them this year. Instead, NOAA will revert to previous rules.
Harris said, “NOAA waited until just weeks before the season to reverse course on these proposed measures, leaving small businesses and watermen on Maryland’s Eastern Shore dealing with the fallout at a critical time.” He also said he has received feedback from local residents who are worried about how this delay will impact their livelihoods. “I’ve heard directly from constituents across the Eastern Shore who are concerned about this delay. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will be reviewing NOAA’s handling of this closely as part of the FY27 funding process. NOAA must act immediately to correct this failure and ensure it does not happen again.”
Harris is currently serving in Congress representing Maryland’s 1st district after replacing Frank Kratovil in 2011, according to official records. He has served in Congress since 2011 and previously held seats in both chambers of Maryland’s state legislature between 1999 and 2011, as reported by public sources. Harris was born in New York City in 1957 and now lives in Cambridge; he graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977.
The broader impact of these regulatory delays could extend beyond fishermen to affect related businesses throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore region.
