Trump reopens New England protected waters to commercial fishing industry

President Donald Trump said he issued a presidential proclamation reopening thousands of square miles of protected Atlantic Ocean waters off New England to commercial fishing, saying the move would restore fishing access and reduce what he said were burdensome restrictions on fishermen.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social Friday evening, writing that the decision was “another BIG WIN for Maine and all of New England.”

The proclamation would restore fishing to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the New England coast, a nearly 5,000-square-mile preserve east of Cape Cod created by former President Barack Obama. Trump rolled back protections in the region during his first term, and President Joe Biden later reinstated them.

“Today, I signed a presidential proclamation to FREE commercial fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, advancing America First fishing policy!” Trump wrote. “I am restoring nearly 5,000 square miles of fishing access off the coast of New England, which will revitalize our fishing industry and strengthen our booming economy.”

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Commercial fishing boats dock in Menemsha Harbor on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. (Paolo Picciotto/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Trump has long criticized the marine monument, which Obama described at the time as a way to protect vulnerable corals and underwater ecosystems. Trump described the restrictions as an unfair punishment for commercial fishermen.

Trump said Democrats have been imposing excessive and unnecessary regulations on fishermen for years.

“During my first term, I rolled back the bans on commercial fishing, but Joe Biden, or whoever used AUTOPEN, foolishly reinstated them,” Trump wrote. “Since day one, I have taken historic steps to end these disastrous policies.”

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President Donald Trump reopened nearly 5,000 square miles of Atlantic Ocean waters off New England to commercial fishing with a proclamation Friday. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Trump also signed a broader order directing federal agencies to reduce the regulatory burden on fishermen, according to the White House.

Commercial fishing groups welcomed the move, saying it would expand access while allowing the industry to operate sustainably.

“We deserve to be rewarded, not penalized,” John Williams, president and owner of the Atlantic Red Crab Company, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, told the Associated Press. “We are demonstrating that we can fish sustainably and continue to harvest at a sustainable level in perpetuity.”

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Fishermen unload a new catch aboard a commercial fishing boat in New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, July 22, 2024. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Environmental groups criticized the proclamation and warned that reopening the area could threaten sensitive marine ecosystems.

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.