U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has named a new head of NOAA Fisheries, the agency charged with managing the nation’s commercial fisheries, even as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans on slashing the regulator’s budget and moving its functions to the U.S. Department of Interior.
On 14 April, the government announced that former commercial fisherman and officeholder Eugenio Piñeiro Soler will serve as assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
“Mr. Piñeiro Soler has enjoyed a long and illustrious life in fisheries management,” NOAA Fisheries said in a statement announcing the change. “In a career that has spanned over 30 years, he has been a successful commercial fisherman, fisheries captain, and entrepreneur in his home island of Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean.”
Piñeiro Soler chaired the Caribbean Fishery Management Council from 2001 to 2010. He has served on the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the International Whaling Commission, and the Marine Protected Area Federal Advisory Committee. He also served as the deputy assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere during Trump’s first administration.
“Eugenio Piñeiro Soler brings extensive managerial and leadership experience to NOAA Fisheries, having worked at the intersection of policy and science throughout his career,” NOAA Fisheries said. “Mr. Piñeiro Soler’s passion for these issues is evident, and he will work with NOAA Fisheries’ various partners, industries, and constituencies to promote the economic benefits of U.S. fisheries and ensure smart management of our nation’s fisheries and trust resources.”
In a statement, the National Fisheries Institute commended the Trump administration’s selection, highlighting Piñeiro Soler’s experience with the United States’ system of fisheries management.
“The National Fisheries Institute congratulates Eugenio Piñeiro Soler on his appointment to serve as the new Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries,” NFI President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard said in a statement. “We commend the administration for working quickly to fill this vital position and for choosing a seasoned veteran of the council management system and Magnuson-based fisheries policy. We look forward to working with him.”
Piñeiro Soler will replace Acting Assistant Administrator Emily Menashes, a longtime NOAA employee who was appointed after the former head of the agency, Janet Coit, stepped down when former President Joe Biden left office. Menashes will continue in her previous position: deputy assistant administrator for operations.
The Trump administration has moved swiftly to replace U.S. Department of Commerce leadership with preferred people since taking office in January; Lutnick was confirmed as secretary of commerce in February, while former NOAA Acting Administrator Neil Jacobs – who served in that position during Trump’s first term – was tapped to lead NOAA once again.
The appointment of Piñeiro Soler fills another key NOAA leadership position, but it comes amid a swirl of turmoil at the scientific agency, with roughly 800 employees fired in February.
Multiple news outlets have also reported that the Trump administration wants to severely defund NOAA’s budget in fiscal year 2026, cutting a number of scientific and environmental programs. Among those that would be impacted is NOAA Fisheries, which would see its budget cut by one-third, its species recovery and habitat conservation grants eliminated, and its fisheries services transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The Trump administration has once again made clear that it’s not just hostile to science – it’s actively working to erase it. These proposed cuts are setting NOAA up to fail. Forget efficiency; this is sabotage,” U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) said in a statement. “This proposal is a five-alarm fire for anyone who values public safety, coastal resilience, and the foundational science that underpins our nation’s weather forecasts, fisheries, and climate response. From eliminating Sea Grant to wiping out climate research and transferring endangered species responsibilities to an already stretched Fish and Wildlife Service, this is chaos masquerading as policy.”
