The Trump Administration has issued a presidential proclamation that rolls back prohibitions on commercial fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the US northeast coast.
Located about 130 miles/209km southeast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and approximately the size of the US state of Connecticut, the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is the only marine national monument off the continental United States. It features three underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and four seamounts (extinct volcanoes) that rise higher than any mountain east of the Rockies. These ocean features, and the water column above them, provide a refuge for an abundance of diverse marine life, including endangered marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds and many species of rare and fragile deep-sea corals, some thousands of years old, ocean advocates contend:
“The Northeast Monument is the only highly protected area in the US Atlantic Ocean, and the only year-round entanglement-free zone for migrating marine mammals along the entire eastern seaboard. Marine monuments sustain and restore marine biodiversity both within their boundaries and beyond, through spillover effects. They strengthen ocean health and resilience to climate change and other threats.
“Coastal communities and economies depend on a healthy ocean, clean beaches, and abundant fish and wildlife. Protections for this area help support New England’s tourist economy. The protected area also serves as a natural laboratory where new species are discovered and where cutting-edge science may lead to medical advances. Through research and exploration, we can better understand the ocean and ensure it can continue to support life as we know it for generations to come.”
In 2016, President Barack Obama designated the area as a marine national monument. In 2020, President Trump rolled those protections back, and the following year, President Joe Biden restored those protections.
In his latest proclamation, Trump states:
“As explained herein, following further consideration of the nature of the objects identified in Proclamation 9496 and the protection of those objects already provided by Federal law, I find that appropriately managed commercial fishing would not put the objects of historic and scientific interest that the monument protects at risk.”
US Senator Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, opposes the proclamation:
“This hugely misguided Executive Order would recklessly roll back protections for a marine monument that we’ve worked hard to protect. This natural treasure should be preserved for future generations, not endangered by industrial fishing. It’s home to immensely valuable wildlife — a marine ecosystem that deserves to be defended. I’ll continue this fight.”
Brad Sewell, managing director for oceans at the Natural Resources Defense Council, says:
“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 and other extractive activities, keeping it intact for future generations. Trump’s move to dismantle those protections is unlawful, and we’re confident that it won’t stand.”
