BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 8, 2020
President Donald Trump’s visit to Maine last week was about image and messaging. The president held a roundtable with fishermen and others in the industry. The centerpiece was the signing of a proclamation to allow more commercial fishing in the only marine monument on the east coast. The Northeast Canyon and Seamounts Marine National Monument was created to protect underwater canyons and mountains that are home to diverse wildlife, including corals not found anywhere else. Less than 5 percent of the regional fishing catch comes from the area. Maine’s fishing industry faces many challenges — lack of demand because of the coronavirus pandemic, competition with Canada, Trump’s tariff war, endangered species protection and the regulations that come with it. They deserve serious attention, not nearly meaningless proclamations.