Executive Order 13449: Protection of Striped Bass and Red Drum Fish Populations
President: George W. Bush
Directed federal protection of striped bass and red drum, including a policy against selling striped bass caught in the federal exclusive economic zone.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13449 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13449 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13449 do?
In 2018, NOAA said a proposed striped-bass transit-zone change would not allow commercial fishing, consistent with EO 13449's policy.
Before and after
Before the order
Species conservation depended on federal and state fishery rules.
After the order
In 2018, NOAA said a proposed striped-bass transit-zone change would not allow commercial fishing, consistent with EO 13449's policy.
The 2018 notice was a request for comments, not a final opening of commercial fisheries; fishery rules and statute control implementation.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of Commerce | Encourage appropriate management that conserves striped bass and red drum; revise regulations as appropriate to prohibit sales of fish caught in the specified Atlantic and Gulf exclusive economic zone. Periodically review populations, take appropriate action within existing authority and recommend actions outside that authority to the President. | Population reviews periodically; other actions as appropriate; no fixed deadline. |
| Secretary of the Interior | Implement Commerce’s management encouragement and population-review duties jointly with Commerce, as appropriate, insofar as they concern Atlantic striped bass. | As appropriate; population reviews periodically; no fixed deadline. |
| Later action | In 2018, NOAA said a proposed striped-bass transit-zone change would not allow commercial fishing, consistent with EO 13449's policy. | October 4, 2018 |
What happened next
EO 13449 signed.
In 2018, NOAA said a proposed striped-bass transit-zone change would not allow commercial fishing, consistent with EO 13449's policy.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The 2018 notice was a request for comments, not a final opening of commercial fisheries; fishery rules and statute control implementation.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →