Policy – Southern Fried Science

REPORT: The Trump Administration’s War in Iran Is Harming Fishermen in Hawaii and Across the Country

October 28, 2026October 29, 2026 Angelo Villagomez No Comments

The ocean is not exempt from the Trump administration’s reverse Midas touch. While the administration’s fisheries policies undermine protections for endangered species and iconic habitats, the war in Iran drives up the price of diesel, leaving fishermen teetering on the edge of insolvency. Elevated fuel costs driven by President Donald Trump’s war of choice in … Read More “REPORT: The Trump Administration’s War in Iran Is Harming Fishermen in Hawaii and Across the Country” »

REPORT: Trump rolling back 87% of the nation’s highly protected ocean waters

October 22, 2026October 28, 2026 Angelo Villagomez No Comments

Conservation, Policy

In his second term, President Trump has taken action to remove protections from marine areas stretching across more than 1 million square miles, threatening iconic seascapes with industrial-scale fishing fleets. With ocean health increasingly under threat from climate change and human harm, the Trump administration is putting America’s ocean conservation legacy at risk. Government agencies … Read More “REPORT: Trump rolling back 87% of the nation’s highly protected ocean waters” »

Sabotaging conservation in the US: this time it’s the next generation of conservation scientists

October 9, 2026 Ali Gaster

Academic life, Conservation, Education, Policy, Science

Let’s be honest. Most of us working in conservation science got into it because we wanted to save something. We envisioned our research ultimately protecting a fragile ecosystem or an endangered species from the numerous threats thrown at them by humans. Looking at the current state of the United States, faced with climate impacts and … Read More “Sabotaging conservation in the US: this time it’s the next generation of conservation scientists” »

A continued assault on the Endangered Species Act – this time it’s the “Jobs Act”

October 8, 2026October 8, 2026 Ali Gaster

Conservation, Policy, Uncategorized

There are three ways to destroy an environmental law. You can repeal it outright (. You can withhold the funds needed to enforce it. Or (and this is the preferred method of the Trump Administration and the Republican Party) you can keep the law on the books but completely rewrite the machinery that makes it … Read More “A continued assault on the Endangered Species Act – this time it’s the “Jobs Act”” »

When is a take not a take? Yet another attack on Endangered Species by the Trump Administration

September 22, 2026September 19, 2026 Ali Gaster

Conservation, Policy, Science

“Felling a tree is not a take of the bats roosting in it unless the tree is felled for the purpose of killing or capturing them.” This is the example used by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik in a September 14, 2026 memo directing Service personnel to adopt a radically narrower interpretation … Read More “When is a take not a take? Yet another attack on Endangered Species by the Trump Administration” »

The Trump Administration’s latest attack on endangered species

September 17, 2026 Ali Gaster

Conservation, News, Policy, Science

NOAA’s new seafood roadmap increases the threat to endangered whales There has long been a tension between commercial fisheries and marine conservation. But a new directive out of NOAA Fisheries indicates that the scales aren’t just tipping; they are being actively flipped over by the Trump Administration. On September 2, 2026, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator … Read More “The Trump Administration’s latest attack on endangered species” »

5 things I learned helping to reassess the global conservation status of every species of tuna and billfish

September 15, 2026 David Shiffman

Conservation, Featured, Policy

One of my first part-time positions as an ocean conservation policy consultant was working for the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group. Our task was to update the IUCN Red List conservation assessments for all the different species of tuna and billfish on Earth. This job, a perfect introduction to working at … Read More “5 things I learned helping to reassess the global conservation status of every species of tuna and billfish” »

The Trump Administration’s latest attack on the Endangered Species Act

August 21, 2026 Ali Gaster

Conservation, Policy, Science

There are three ways to destroy an environmental law. You can repeal it. You can withhold funds to enact or enforce the law. Or you can keep the law on the books, but rewrite the machinery that makes it work (i.e., you can sabotage it). Over the course of two weeks, the U.S. Fish and … Read More “The Trump Administration’s latest attack on the Endangered Species Act” »

How to help protect the deep sea in the Marianas and American Samoa today

August 20, 2026 Angelo Villagomez

Conservation, Featured, News, Policy

Deep sea mining lease sales are scheduled to take place in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands in November and December, respectively. The Trump administration has advanced a rushed and secretive process in both U.S. territories with limited public participation. Thankfully the United States is still a democracy and the First Amendment guarantees us … Read More “How to help protect the deep sea in the Marianas and American Samoa today” »

Trump Administration Advances Mariana Trench Offshore Mineral Leasing Process

August 19, 2026 Angelo Villagomez

Conservation, Featured, News, Policy

Yesterday the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ignored the voices of 60,000 public comments and issued a proposed leasing notice for the seabed surrounding the Mariana Trench. This is a key step in selling off 69 million acres of the American seafloor to the mining industry, an area about the size of Nevada. A new … Read More “Trump Administration Advances Mariana Trench Offshore Mineral Leasing Process” »