On June 5, 2020, President Donald Trump, surrounded by New England fishermen and their prop lobster traps, opened the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. Unsurprisingly, environmentalists did not get an invite.
President Barack Obama established the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in 2016 under the federal Antiquities Act.
Trump’s decision to open the Monument will be challenged in court.
The White House quoted President Trump, saying: “So they just closed it? They said you can’t fish? But let me guess: Other countries do, right? Huh? They do… This action was deeply unfair to Maine lobstermen. Threatened to cripple family businesses. It cost America’s fishermen millions of dollars… So they closed 5,000 square miles of ocean off your coast, right? That’s amazing.“ As usual, many of Trump's statements are false and misleading. For example, “other countries” were also banned from commercial fishing in the monument. Given the distance of this area from the coast, few Maine fishermen used the waters of the monument.
The Pacific Marine National Monuments are next on the President’s chopping block, according to several news stories. President Trump’s threatened action would open up the fragile coral atolls and abundant wildlife of the Pacific Marine National Monuments to commercial fishing.
One of the purposes of the Monuments is to provide a haven for healthy fish populations that do not have to suffer the ravages of longlines, entangling nets, and fishing for depleted species like sharks. These refuges allow fish populations to replenish, which can help provide fish for the future of commercial fishing.
The International Marine Mammal Project and Shark Stewards of Earth Island Institute are working with lawyers to defend the Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Monument in conjunction with other organizations. We have already contacted the White House, Justice Department, and Department of Interior with our opposition to allowing the opening of the Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing.
Please write to President Donald Trump and your elected Representative and two Senators in Washington DC.
Urge them to:
(1) Prohibit any commercial fishing in the Pacific Ocean Marine National Monuments.
(2) Not shrink the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean Marine National Monuments.
(3) Maintain and protect these Marine National Monuments for ecosystem integrity, fish stock regeneration, scientific research, and future generations.
(4) Reinstate the ban on commercial fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamount Marine National Monument in the North Atlantic.
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President Donald Trump Fill in the Email Form here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ To comment: 202-456-1111 The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 |
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Congress For a list of Senators with links to their websites, go here: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm For a list of Members of the House of Representatives with links to their websites, go here: https://www.house.gov/representatives Under the heading “Contact”, most Senators and Representatives will either post an email address or have an online form you can fill out to contact them. You can also call the Congressional Switchboard (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to the office of your Senators and Representative. To write a letter, you can address it: Senator __________________ US Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Representative __________ US House of Representatives Building Washington, DC 20515 |
