November 21, 2016 โ The Gloucester Fishing Commission isnโt ready yet to employ a full-court press on President-elect Donald Trump to reverse the Obama administrationโs creation of a Marine National Monument in the canyons and seamounts off the coast of southern New England.
Itโs not that the commission members think itโs a bad idea. They just think itโs too early to start beating that particular drum.
โThereโs already a lot of talk and the group letters will be coming along like before,โ said commission Chairman Mark Ring. โBut I donโt think we should be doing a letter now. Itโs too premature.โ
โLetโs wait until he gets into office,โ said Angela Sanfilippo.
Other fishing stakeholders around the country have said they hope to appeal to Trumpโs oft-stated intent to reverse any of the Obama administrationโs policies and decisions he deems to be executive overreach.
โItโs a new day,โ said fishing industry advocate Robert Vanasse of the Saving Seafood website. โI would anticipate there would be a desire to address monuments. Whether itโs the radical step of revoking the designation, or modifying it to allow non-destructive, sustainable fishing to take place, which we think is rational, I donโt know.โ