“This attempt to remove protections from our marine national monument is illegal. The American people have repeatedly supported protection for more marine areas – not less." -- NPCA's Sarah Barmeyer
Washington, DC – In response to President Trump’s recent proclamation “Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Atlantic,” the National Parks Conservation Association is adamantly opposed to actions aimed to remove protections at Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, off the coast of Cape Cod National Seashore. This dangerous attempt to open the monument up for industrial fishing paves the way for destructive activities that harm coastal communities, connected coastal national parks, marine and endangered wildlife, and ocean health. The President’s action is illegal and flies in the face of public opinion, which is strongly supportive of a marine monument here.
The first and only marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Monument protects three underwater canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and four large seamounts (underwater mountains) found along the Atlantic Coast. Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument supports marine wildlife and protects endangered whales, sea turtles and seabirds. No-fishing marine protected areas like this one are proven scientifically as one of the most effective tools for improving ocean health and threatened fish stocks, which in turn supports healthy national park wildlife. A 2022 poll of New Englanders found that more than 80% favored establishing permanently protected areas in the ocean.
A billion people rely on viable, healthy oceans for their food and livelihoods. Additionally, America’s 88 coastal national parks are important tourist destinations that rely on thriving marine environments and attract more than 96 million visitors annually that bring nearly $7 billion in economic benefits to local economies.
Statement by Sarah Barmeyer, Deputy Vice President of Conservation Programs for the National Parks Conservation Association:
“This attempt to remove protections from our marine national monument is illegal. The American people have repeatedly supported protection for more marine areas – not less. These destructive attempts to open commercial fishing will reverse science-proven gains that have taken place since these protections were enforced.
“Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is a living laboratory, protecting a diversity of marine wildlife including corals, cod, tuna, sea turtles, sharks, seabirds and endangered marine mammals like North Atlantic right whales. What happens here helps inform management planning for invasive species, our changing climate, and the conservation of our oceans and nearly 100 coastal national parks.
“Not only is this place important to iconic national park sites like Acadia, Cape Cod and Fire Island National Seashores, Boston Harbor Islands and Gateway National Recreation Areas, it protects irreplaceable underwater treasures that only exist here and that most of us will never have the chance to explore and see for ourselves.
“We’ll continue to fight to ensure Northeast Canyons and all of our national monuments, remain protected as they were intended, to ensure generations from now, they exist as they do today.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
