Sticking to a promise made last year, President Trump has reopened a huge swath of protected water off New England to fishing.
Trump said the move would reestablish fishing in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, according to The Associated Press.
He signaled that he would restore fishing in the area in May.
The White House said at the time the move would “support the vital Maine lobster industry by ensuring unfettered access to the coastal waters of the United States.”
The area, off the New England coast, is a nearly 5,000-square-mile preserve east of Cape Cod created by former Obama.
During a fishermen’s roundtable in Bangor six years ago, Trump rolled back protections in the area but President Biden later restored them.
The proclamation is Trump’s latest effort to try to strengthen U.S. fishing while rolling back existing conservation measures.
He signed a broader order earlier this year calling on the federal government to reduce the regulatory burden on fishermen in the coming weeks.
