President Trump is reinstating commercial fishing in a national marine monument after the practice was blocked by his Democratic predecessors.
Trump is expected to issue a proclamation Friday reinstating commercial fishing access in all 4,913 square miles of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, which is located off the coast of Massachusetts.
The proclamation was first reported by the NH Journal.
The national monument was established by former President Obama to protect deep-sea canyons with unique ecosystems. The administration said at the time that these ecosystems are significantly impacted by climate change.
The monument is home to 54 species of coral and is a feeding ground for species including whales, dolphins, turtles and more than 10 species of shark.
During his first term in office, Trump reopened the monument to commercial fishing. Former President Biden reversed that decision, which Trump is now reinstating.
The White House said the move will “support the vital Maine lobster industry by ensuring unfettered access to the coastal waters of the United States.”
It also declared that the Obama and Biden-era protections were “not necessary for the proper care and management of the Monument, as many fish species are highly migratory, not unique to the area, and are already protected through existing law.”
However, environmental activists slammed the move.
“Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is a truly special place: a living scientific laboratory, a refuge for creatures as varied as cold-water corals and sperm whales. Its status as a national monument means that it’s permanently protected from damage by commercial fishing,” Brad Sewell, managing director of oceans at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a written statement. “Trump’s move to dismantle those protections is unlawful, and we’re confident that it won’t stand.”
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