President Trump has again moved to open a protected ocean area to commercial fishing, this time targeting the only national marine monument in the Atlantic. In a proclamation issued on Friday, Trump authorized commercial fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, roughly 130 miles off Cape Cod and comparable in size to Connecticut, per the New York Times. The AP notes that Trump has signaled fishing will be restored to the area by May.
The deep-sea reserve, created by President Obama in 2016 and restored by President Biden after Trump's first attempt to lift fishing limits, shelters at least 10 dolphin species and 13 whale species, including endangered sperm, sei, and fin whales, as well as rare deep-sea corals, per the Times. Trump wrote in his proclamation that he believes "appropriately managed commercial fishing" won't endanger the scientific and historical features the monument was established to protect.
Environmental groups sharply disagree, warning that gear could damage the corals and disturb marine life that use the area as habitat and breeding grounds. They also contend Trump is overstepping his authority under the Antiquities Act, which empowers presidents to create national monuments but doesn't explicitly allow them to roll back protections. "Trump's move to dismantle those protections is unlawful, and we're confident that it won't stand," says Brad Sewell of the Natural Resources Defense Council, signaling likely legal challenges.
Fishing groups applauded the decision, arguing their practices are tightly regulated and compatible with conservation. "America's commercial fishermen are among the world's most responsible ocean stewards," says Bob Vanasse of the industry group Saving Seafood, calling the sector essential to coastal economies and food supply. The dispute over the Atlantic monument comes as that part of the ocean warms more than three times faster than the global average, a trend Obama cited when he created the protected area, saying bold action was needed "to leave our children with oceans like the ones that were left to us."
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