May 12, 2025 — The Trump administration has moved to roll back additional federal fishing restrictions, this time reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing.
President Trump signed a proclamation on May 9 restoring access to nearly 5,000 square miles of federally protected waters southeast of Cape Cod, a move praised by regional industry groups and criticized by conservation scientists.
Originally designated as a national monument in 2016 under President Obama, the Northeast Canyons area was intended to protect deep-sea corals, whales, sea turtles, and other sensitive marine species. It was reopened to fishing during Trump’s first term in 2020, but the decision was reversed under President Biden in 2021.