Presidential Message on National Ocean Month
During National Ocean Month, my Administration recognizes the vital role oceans play in driving American commerce, strengthening our economy, and advancing our national security. This month, we remain committed to expanding access to our ocean resources, rebuilding our shipbuilding industries, and ensuring the United States remains the strongest and most capable maritime power in the world.
My Administration is unleashing the full economic power of our oceans to deliver prosperity and opportunity for the American people, beginning with the fishing communities that have long been the backbone of our coastal towns and cities. In February, I was proud to reopen previously restricted Atlantic waters, having now returned nearly 5,000 square miles of pristine water off of our eastern coast to commercial fishing, lifting needless regulations off the backs of hardworking Americans and reinvigorating the local economies that depend upon their labor.
Under my leadership, the Gulf of America now stands at the center of a new era for American energy dominance as we open its depths to the oil and gas development that will revitalize our economy and expand our trade with world partners. Across the broader Outer Continental Shelf, we are working to expand private-sector access to critical minerals that will secure our supply chains and cement American energy leadership for decades to come.
A maritime nation must also command the seas through the strength of its ships. Through America’s Maritime Action Plan, we are modernizing our ports, rebuilding our commercial fleet, and creating the opportunity for major merchant vessels to once again be made in America—ensuring that allies and trading partners around the world turn to American shipyards for strong, reliable vessels. We are also undertaking a historic naval shipbuilding effort through the creation of our new Golden Fleet and the construction of advanced American warships. These vessels will stand as an unmistakable declaration of American maritime superiority, ensuring the United States Navy remains the most dominant fighting force ever to sail the seas.
As we celebrate National Ocean Month, America stands tall as the world’s greatest seafaring power. Our oceans are open for business; our shipyards are roaring back to life; and our fishermen, energy workers, and maritime industries are reclaiming their place at the forefront of the American economy. We are ushering in a new Golden Age of American prosperity and maritime power, and my Administration will always ensure that our oceans remain a source of strength, prosperity, and success for the American people.
