WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) — September 24, 2015 — Maine Senator Susan Collins and Congressman Bruce Poliquin have written a letter to NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Eileen Sobeck expressing concern over proposals to designate marine National Monuments in the Atlantic Ocean, and calling for a “thorough, open” public process before such a proposal is implemented.
The letter, dated September 14, notes that the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), which currently is responsible for managing many of the areas under discussion, “has been proactive in its stewardship” of the area, particularly the Cashes Ledge region of the Gulf of Maine. It notes that the “deliberative and democratic” process that consults “scientists, public officials, fishermen, regulators, and other stakeholders” has allowed Cashes Ledge to “flourish.”
A National Monument designation in these areas, the letter states, “could well undermine the NEFMC’s longstanding, cooperative, and effective management systems and its years of hard work to develop balanced management plans in the region.” To prevent this, the letter calls for additional public hearings hosted by NOAA before any monument plan is implemented.