Yesterday President Trump signed an Executive Order allowing commercial fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. This Monument, much like our National Parks, was created as a lasting legacy for current and future generations of Americans. This is part of a pattern of eliminating environmental protections while the Nation’s attention is elsewhere.

President Trump’s actions harm our ocean, and our children’s national and natural heritage. While he is reducing protected areas to placate a special interest, this is in direct contrast to the support for expanding protected areas as expressed by a full 99% of aquarium visitors in a recent survey. Protecting our ocean is important to Americans, no matter where they live.

See more about how we have worked closely with AZA, and our zoo, aquarium, youth and other partners over the years for protection of special ocean areas, including this Monument specifically, the United States’ only marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean.