Fishermen from the U.S. states of New Jersey and Massachusetts have once again filed a lawsuit challenging the creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.
The national monument was first established by former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016, who created the nearly 5,000-square-mile monument in the Georges Bank area of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean via executive order. The monument effectively banned commercial fishing in the area, with only red crab and lobster fishermen allowed to use the area – with plans to phase out that fishing by 15 September, 2023.
Since its creation, the monument has been the subject of controversy, with fishermen launching an unsuccessful challenge of the monument’s creation. Their subsequent appeal of the decision was denied. Over a year later, the U.S. Supreme Court also opted against taking up the case.
