Trump ends Obama-era restrictions on commercial fishing in the protected area off New England

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — President Donald Trump made an announcement Friday reopening a large swath of protected sea in the Atlantic Ocean to commercial fishing.

Trump said the move would restore fishing in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of New England, a roughly 5,000-square-mile reserve east of Cape Cod created by former President Barack Obama. Trump rolled back protections in the region in 2020 and President Joe Biden later restored them.

Trump’s announcement is his latest move to try to boost hunting in the United States while rolling back existing conservation measures. He signed a broader order earlier this year calling on the federal government to reduce the regulatory burden on hunters in the coming weeks.

Trump has long criticized the marine monument, which Obama described at the time as an opportunity to protect coral reefs and vulnerable undersea ecosystems. Trump called it an unfair punishment for commercial fishermen.

The president wrote in Friday’s announcement that he believes “properly managed commercial fishing will not jeopardize objects of historical and scientific importance protected by the monument.”

Trump indicated that he would resume hunting in the area in May. The move “will support Maine’s vital lobster industry by ensuring unrestricted access to U.S. coastal waters,” the White House said at the time.

He watches: How a case involving a small fish can have big implications for federal regulations

Trump has often tied his support for fishing rights at the monument to Maine fishermen, even though the protected area is southeast of Cape Cod.

Commercial fishing groups have long sought the reopening of the protected area and expressed their support on Friday.

“We deserve reward, not punishment,” said John Williams, president and owner of Atlantic Red Crab Company, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. “We are proving that we can fish sustainably and continue harvesting at a sustainable level forever.”

Environmental groups have strongly criticized the move to reopen the monument to fishing. Some vowed to fight it in court.

“The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument was created to provide strong protection for the wide range of marine life that inhabits these unique habitats,” said Jeb Brogan, fisheries campaign director at the environmental group Oceana.

Environmentalists also challenged Trump’s move last year that they say removes important protections from the Pacific Islands Marine Heritage National Monument off Hawaii. This is a much larger marine memorial created by President George W. Bush in 2009 and later expanded by Obama. A judge banned commercial fishing in the area in August.