Biden’s decision to restore marine monument off Cape Cod is praised and criticized in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 8, 2021

President Biden’s decision to restore the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off Cape Cod got mixed reactions in Maine on Friday. But while the decision restores a prohibition on commercial fishing in the area, it is not expected to have much direct impact on the state’s industries because few, if any, Maine boats fish there. Conservation groups, on the other hand, opposed Trump’s decision and said Biden’s move to restore the monument is crucial to protecting an area of the ocean that has seen dramatic impacts from climate change. Gov. Janet Mills criticized the Biden administration for taking such a major action without input from stakeholders, including the fishing industry. Last year, Mills criticized Trump for eliminating the monument.