Ocean Map Overhaul: New Bill Mandates Public, Real-Time Maps of Fishing and Boating Rules by 2028

If you’ve ever tried to figure out exactly where you can drop a line or anchor your boat without breaking a federal rule, you know the current system is often a mess of scattered documents and outdated charts. The Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (MAPOA) aims to fix that by forcing the federal government to put all that information on one easy-to-use, public map.

The GPS for Government Rules

This bill tasks the Secretary of Commerce (through the National Marine Fisheries Service) with creating standardized rules for sharing location data about our oceans. The goal is simple: make it clear where the rules are. No later than four years after the bill passes, the government must launch an online map showing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)—which is basically the ocean area the U.S. manages. This map has to clearly display all fishing restrictions, the boundaries of federally protected marine areas (like National Marine Sanctuaries), and any restrictions on recreational activities, such as limits on engine power or fuel use for boats (Sec. 4).

Think of it this way: If you’re a weekend angler or a scuba enthusiast, this map should tell you exactly where you can go and what gear you can use, removing the guesswork that can lead to costly fines. The data must be updated at least twice a year for fishing and recreational rules, and in real time for navigation details and authorized activities in protected areas. This real-time requirement is a big deal, as it means agencies have a serious technical lift ahead of them to deliver on this promise.

Who Benefits from the Clarity?

This is a win for anyone who uses the ocean for recreation. For busy people who just want to take their boat out without needing a law degree, having a single source of truth for regulations is huge. It also helps state and local governments, as the bill requires the federal government to standardize how they share this geospatial data, which should cut down on inter-agency confusion (Sec. 3).

The bill also requires the Secretary to team up with non-Federal partners—including state agencies, Tribal organizations, universities, and even private tech companies and nonprofits—to get this data organized and published (Sec. 5). This means the government is acknowledging it needs outside expertise to make the map useful, which is smart, considering the complexity of modern data management.

Protecting What Matters

While the goal is transparency, the bill includes important guardrails. The government is strictly prohibited from sharing sensitive information on these public maps, including the location of historic or cultural sites, or any proprietary data related to commercial fishing operations (Sec. 4). This is a necessary measure to protect both cultural heritage and the privacy of businesses that rely on not having their fishing secrets broadcast to everyone.

Crucially, the bill explicitly states that it does not mess with existing Tribal rights, treaties, or the authority of any agency to manage fisheries or regulate navigable waters (Sec. 6). This means the bill focuses purely on data sharing and access, rather than changing the underlying rules of who controls what.

The Fine Print: Where the Secretary Gets Broad Power

One area to watch is the definition of a “fishing restriction.” The bill defines it broadly, including specific closures, but then adds a catch-all: “any other restriction the Secretary determines counts” (Sec. 2). While this might be necessary for flexibility, it gives the Secretary of Commerce significant discretion to decide what rules get mapped and published, which could potentially lead to disputes over what constitutes a necessary public restriction versus an administrative burden.

Overall, this bill is less about changing what the rules are and more about making sure everyone can easily find out where the rules are. For ocean users, this is a long-overdue modernization that promises to replace regulatory confusion with clear, digital maps.