Trump To Allow Commercial Fishing In New England Marine Monument

May 9 (Reuters) – On Friday, President Donald Trump is set to sign a proclamation that will allow commercial fishing in a marine national monument located off the coast of New England. This decision reflects the administration’s ongoing mission to reduce regulations perceived as hindrances to business and economic growth.

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts marine National Monument, which spans nearly 5,000 square miles (13,000 square kilometers), was established by former President Barack Obama in 2016 with the aim of safeguarding various species such as deep-sea corals, sea turtles, and whales. While Trump initially opened this area for fishing during his first term in 2020, former President Joe Biden reinstated protections in 2021.According to a White House official,this latest move is intended to bolster fishing communities and stimulate job creation. A recent aerial survey conducted by the New England Aquarium—backed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—revealed over 600 marine animals within the monument’s boundaries, including calves of humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins.

Peter Auster, an emeritus research professor at the University of Connecticut specializing in marine sciences, emphasized that such protected areas are crucial for understanding human impacts on ocean ecosystems. “Without these sanctuaries free from large-scale commercial activities,” he noted, “we lack benchmarks for assessing how human actions elsewhere affect biodiversity.”

This marks Trump’s second initiative to open protected waters for fishing since beginning his second term earlier this year; just last month he signed an order allowing commercial fishing across 400,000 acres of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

Though, it’s worth noting that recent regulatory freezes have created turmoil within America’s $320 billion fishing sector. Delays in opening certain East Coast fisheries have contributed to issues like overfishing Atlantic bluefin tuna—a situation previously reported by Reuters.

In summary: while some see these proclamations as beneficial for local economies reliant on fishing jobs—similar sentiments can be found among coastal communities worldwide facing similar regulatory challenges—the long-term ecological implications remain a topic of heated debate among scientists and environmentalists alike.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Cynthia osterman)