March 8, 2017 — A commercial fishing coalition is reportedly suing the Trump administration over a massive marine monument that was created by President Obama off the coast of New England last year.
The fishermen claim that the president’s designation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument back in September — under the Antiquities Act — was a “unilateral” action that ultimately wound up causing economic distress and hardship for locals.
In their lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court, the groups requested that the move be ruled as unlawful and asked that President Trump not move forward with Obama’s decision.
“The Northeast Canyons and Seamount National Marine Monument purports to designate a monument in the ocean 130 miles from the nation’s coast. This area of the ocean is not ‘lands owned or controlled’ by the federal government,” the suit says.
“Therefore, the Antiquities Act does not authorize the President to establish the Northeast Canyon and Seamounts Marine National Monument.”