WASHINGTON, DC June 5, 2020 — The National Fisheries Institute applauds the Trump administration for withdrawing arbitrary fisheries restrictions on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument off the coast of New England.

We welcome efforts to refocus on fisheries regulation that are transparent, participatory and science-based, and in this case best achieved through the New England Fishery Management Council.

The Magnuson Stevens Act has long provided options for management councils to designate fishing areas and marine habitat for protection. This method includes an opportunity for multi-stakeholder input and a robust review of the applicable science.

Advanced research assessments ensure proper levels of fishing are permitted in designated areas. Simply cordoning off zones on a map to harvesting without regard for the existing, well-constructed system has been duplicative and disadvantaged the men and women who work these fisheries and ultimately consumers.

Seafood sustainability means a commitment to quantifiable science and the communities that depend on American fisheries.

John Connelly
President
National Fisheries Institute

Contact Information

Gavin Gibbons
(703) 752-8891
ggibbons@nfi.org