Commercial fishing boats are moored in the port of Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. (Paolo Picciotto/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Trump has long been critical of the marine monument, which Obama described at the time as a way to protect vulnerable undersea corals and ecosystems. Trump has described the restrictions as an unfair penalty on commercial fishermen.
Trump said Democrats had imposed excessive and unnecessary regulations on fishermen for years.
"In my first term, I reversed the prohibitions placed on commercial fishing, but Joe Biden, or whoever was using the AUTOPEN, foolishly reinstated them," Trump wrote. "Since Day One, I have taken historic action to end these disastrous policies."
ENERGY GROUPS CELEBRATE TRUMP'S LATEST MOVE TO UNLEASH ALASKA DRILLING
Fishermen unload a fresh catch aboard a commercial fishing vessel at the port of New Bedford, Mass., July 22, 2024. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Environmental groups criticized the proclamation and warned that reopening the area could threaten sensitive marine ecosystems.
"The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument was created to provide strong protections for the wide range of marine life that live in these unique habitats," Gib Brogan, fisheries campaign director at environmental group Oceana, told the outlet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-vows-to-unleash-commercial-fishing-off-new-england-reversing-obama-era-atlantic-restrictions