Biden Banning Commercial Fishing In Area Off Coast Of Cape Cod

BARNSTABLE, MA — President Joe Biden will sign an executive order restoring environmental protections in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, meaning commercial fishing will be banned in that area off the coast of Cape Cod, White House officials said Thursday.

The order restores the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument established by then President Barack Obama in 2016, reversing former President Donald Trump's removal of the protections.

Under Biden's plan, recreational fishing will still be allowed in the area, but commercial fishing and fishing for red crab and American lobster will be phased out by Sept. 15, 2023.

"The Biden-Harris Administration’s land, water, ocean, and wildlife conservation efforts are critical to solving the climate crisis, protecting public health, promoting wildlife and biodiversity, and rebuilding America’s economy," Biden's administration said in a statement Thursday. "As part of his Build Back Better Agenda, the President has proposed the creation of a new Civilian Climate Corps, which would partner with unions in putting to work a new generation that looks like America – with good benefits and pay – on the path to family-supporting careers in fields restoring the health of our public lands, coasts, waters, and forests, advancing environmental justice, and helping communities better prepare for the impacts of a changing climate."

But not everyone is happy with the decision. Commercial fishing advocates say the decision hurts the industry and is an example of politics taking priority over consistent ocean policy.

"This is an unfortunate decision that is opposed not only by those affected in the commercial fishing industry, but by all eight fishery management councils and NOAA Fisheries," Bob Vanasse from the industry advocacy group Saving SeaFood, told trade publication National Fisherman. "There is no scientific justification to prohibit commercial fishing while allowing recreational fishing."

But Environmental groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council celebrated the news. Council President Manish Bapna said Biden's executive order is "restoring faith to millions of people across the country who stood up for these national treasures and opposed Trump's illegal rollbacks."

"Restoring the Canyons and Seamounts — an extraordinary underwater landscape full of ancient corals and sea creatures — preserves a living laboratory for scientists and will make our ocean more resilient in the face of climate change," Bapna said in a statement.