Trump Proclamation Opens Northeast Canyons and Seamounts to Commercial Fishing

President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation today that reopens nearly 5,000 square miles of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, an area roughly 150 miles east of Cape Cod managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA. The White House framed the action under an "America First Fishing Policy," saying it would remove what the administration calls unnecessary restrictions on American fishermen.

The White House fact sheet carried the headline language "UNLEASHING OPPORTUNITY IN THE ATLANTIC: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation to unleash commercial fishing in the Atlantic, advancing the America First Fishing Policy." Trump posted on Truth Social, "Today, I signed a Presidential Proclamation to UNLEASH Commercial Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, advancing the America First Fishing Policy!" and added, "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." The proclamation text cited the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and stated, "I find that appropriately managed commercial fishing would not put the objects of historic and scientific interest that the monument protects at risk."

Commercial fishing groups and local port interests praised the move. Mary Sabo, a spokesperson for the mid-Atlantic council, said the proclamation "aligns with the Council’s previous recommendations" from August and "as far back as 2016," and that the measure would ensure fishing in the marine monument is handled through the same "science-based, participatory process" as other areas. New Bedford Light described the reopening as "good news for American commercial fishermen, particularly those sailing out of the Historic Port of New Bedford," and quoted local advocates arguing that reopening would support harbors and working fleets while limiting environmental disruption.

Conservationists and many scientists pushed back immediately. Oceanographicmagazine reported the proclamation "has triggered alarm among scientists, conservationists, coastal businesses, and lawmakers who all argue that the action undermines ocean health and threatens endangered species." Eenews reported more than 230 scientists and 53 ocean conservation organizations raised concerns about economic risks and ecological threats. New Bedford Light noted scientists say the deep-sea canyons and underwater mountains in the monument "shelter rare corals, endangered whales and fish."

The Atlantic action follows a string of administration steps and legal questions. On April 17, 2025, the president signed an executive order titled "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness" directing agency reviews of marine monuments, and NOAA initiated a 45-day public comment review in late summer 2025 that has not been released publicly. Oceanographicmagazine reported a 2025 Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel opinion sought to reinterpret the Antiquities Act; conservation law scholars dispute that reinterpretation. A prior Trump order in 2020 on this monument was "subsequently overturned the following year by President Joe Biden," and a separate April proclamation opening about 80 percent of the 490,000-square-mile Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was later blocked by a federal district court in Honolulu.

Market and quota issues were cited by supporters as part of the rationale. NOAA Fisheries reported in August that imports dominate the U.S. edible fisheries product market, accounting for roughly 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States. The proclamation also addresses grievances over ICCAT quotas limiting US tuna and swordfish catches to under 5 percent, a point raised in administration briefings.

Legal fights appear likely. New Bedford Light reported the Conservation Law Foundation said it is prepared to sue once again, and Oceanographicmagazine noted litigation followed earlier Pacific actions. With NOAA's monument review materials still unreleased and a Honolulu federal court precedent blocking a Pacific opening, the practical effect of today’s proclamation will hinge on impending agency findings and court challenges.