U.S. Fishing and Seafood Leaders Urge President Biden to Avoid Marine National Monument Designations in Final Days of His Administration

News Release from Saving Seafood, Nov 21, 2024

WASHINGTON – November 21, 2024 – A coalition of more than 150 fishing and seafood industry associations, businesses, and community leaders has sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, urging him to resist creating or expanding Marine National Monuments in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) during the final months of his administration. The letter warns of the potential negative impacts such actions could have on the fishing sector and highlights the significant contributions of U.S. fisheries to the economy, environment, and food security.

“Prohibiting the sustainable utilization of our nation’s waters via unilateral presidential action will harm the Americans we represent, employ, and feed while failing to advance effective and durable marine conservation,” the letter states.

The signatories emphasize that the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) and the Regional Fishery Management Councils provide a proven, science-based approach to ocean conservation. These processes, they argue, offer the flexibility and stakeholder engagement necessary to address dynamic ocean management challenges, which are essential as ocean ecosystems undergo rapid changes.

The letter also highlights the economic importance of U.S. fisheries, which “generate $321 billion in sales, support nearly 2.3 million jobs, and are vital to countless American communities where alternative employment opportunities may be limited.” It continues, “the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requires U.S. fisheries to be managed to sustainable harvest rates and to achieve broader marine biodiversity goals.”

The letter is also concerned about use of the Antiquities Act to designate Marine National Monuments. According to the letter, “Marine National Monuments are created using static area-based protections and without the rigorous impact review required by the normal rulemaking process. They are a tool that will more often prove ill-suited to the dynamic ocean management challenges that lie ahead.”

The signatories argue that the unilateral establishment of prior Marine National Monuments “has also alienated stakeholders in ways that have fundamentally undermined legitimacy and thus durability.”

The letter references a March 2021 statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, which raised concerns about the Antiquities Act:

“A statute permitting the President in his sole discretion to designate as monuments ‘landmarks,’ ‘structures,’ and ‘objects’—along with the smallest area of land compatible with their management—has been transformed into a power without any discernible limit to set aside vast and amorphous expanses of terrain above and below the sea. … The scope of the objects that can be designated under the Act, and how to measure the area necessary for their proper care and management, may warrant consideration [by the Supreme Court]—especially given the myriad restrictions on public use this purely discretionary designation can serve to justify.”

The coalition concludes its letter by urging President Biden to avoid further designations:

“We believe that the negative impacts Antiquities Act designations threaten to coastal communities, fishery participants and U.S. seafood producers—together with the important concerns raised by Chief Justice Roberts—are compelling reasons to avoid any such designations during the remainder of your time in office.”

The letter is signed by a diverse group of associations, businesses, and community leaders representing the U.S. fishing and seafood sectors.

Read the full letter here

Full List of Signatories

Associations

Kati Capozzi, President & CEO, Alaska Chamber
Julie Bonney, Executive Director, Alaska Groundfish Data Bank
Rebecca Logan, CEO, Alaska Support Industry Alliance
Rebecca Skinner, Executive Director, Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association
William Gibbons-Fly, Executive Director, American Tunaboat Association
Craig Morris, CEO, Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers
Stephanie Madsen, Executive Director, At-sea Processors Association
Martin T. Scanlon, President, Blue Water Fishermen's Association
Ben Platt, President, California Coast Crab Association
Ava Schulenberg, Executive Director, California Lobster & Trap Fishermen's Association
Mark Fina, Executive Director, California Wetfish Producers Association
Michael Marchetti, President, Eastern New England Scallop Association
Eric L. Hansen, President of the Board, Fisheries Survival Fund
Jerome William Young, Executive Director, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association
Chad See, Executive Director, Freezer Longline Coalition
Paige Morrison, President, Georgia Commercial Fisherman’s Association
Chris Woodley, Executive Director, Groundfish Forum
Glen Brooks, President, Gulf Fisherman’s Association
Eric Brazer, Jr., Deputy Director, Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance
Eric Kingma, Executive Director, Hawaii Longline Association
Acy Cooper, Jr., President, Louisiana Shrimp Association
Heather Mann, Executive Director, Midwater Trawlers Cooperative
Paul Zajicek, Executive Director, National Aquaculture Association
Lisa Wallenda Picard, President & CEO, National Fisheries Institute
Malcolm Milne, President, North Pacific Fisheries Association
Jackie Odell, Executive Director, Northeast Seafood Coalition
Yelena Nowak, Director, Oregon Trawl Commission
Alexis Meschelle, Executive Director, Organized Fishermen of Florida
Ernest Anderson, President, Organized Seafood Association of Alabama
Lisa Damrosch, Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations
Julie Decker, President, Pacific Seafood Processors Association
Aja Szumylo, Executive Director, Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative
Melissa Pu'e, Secretary, Pago Pago Game Fishing Association

Businesses and Community Leaders

Ryan Marsh, Owner, Alaska Fish & Crab Company (TN)
Dave Hambleton, President, Alaska General Seafoods (AK)
Jason Custer, Vice President, Alaska Power & Telephone Co. (AK)
Rep. Louise Stutes, State Representative, Alaska State House District 5
Rep. Sarah Vance, Chair of House Special Committee on Fisheries, Alaska State House District 6
Robert J. Wurm, President/CEO, Alaskan Leader Fisheries (North Pacific)
Michael Lake, President, Alaskan Observers, Inc. (North Pacific)
Alvin D. Osterback, Mayor, Aleutians East Borough (AK)
Einar Gustafsson, CEO, American Seafoods Group (Pacific/North Pacific)
Doug Christensen, President & CEO, Arctic Storm Management Group (Pacific/North Pacific)
Ed Mullis, General Manager, B&C Seafood, Inc. (VA)
Kirk O. Larson, Mayor, Barnegat Light (NJ)
Mike Eddy, CEO, Beacon Fisheries, Inc. (FL)
Scott Hansen, Owner/Operator, Beauty Bay of Washington LLC (WA)
Stoian Iankov, Owner, Black Sea Fisheries, Inc. (AK)
William H. Burbank II, Owner/Master Net Maker, Burbank Trawl Makers, Inc. (FL)
Anthony Vuoso, President, Cal Marine Fish Company LLC (CA)
Jonathan Woodcock, Captain, California Sea Urchin Divers (CA)
Eric Deakin, CEO, Coastal Villages Region Fund (North Pacific)
John Kevin McCeney, Melissa Garrigan & Charles Graham, Members, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara (CA)
Bret Scholtes, COO, Cooke Aquaculture USA
Edward Cuevas, Jr., Vice President, Cuevas Trawlers (TX)
Susan Wainwright, Owner, D&S Seafood (AL)
Ted & Clara Smithwick, Owner/Operator, Daddy’s Girls (GA)
Ross Butler, Vice President, Daniels Trawlers (VA)
Diane Pleschner-Steele, Owner, DB Pleschner Writes Consulting (CA)
Frederick J. Mattera, Executive Director, East Farm Commercial Fisheries Center (RI)
Kurt Englund, President, Englund Marine & Industrial Supply (OR)
John C. Young, President, Euclid Fish Company (OH)
Mike Retherford, Owner, F/Vs Excalibur, Winona J, and Mandy J (OR)
Edgar Feliciano, Fleet & Operations Manager, Feli Fisheries, Inc. (AS)
Gus Lovgren, Member, Fisherman's Dock Cooperative (NJ)
Annika Saltman, Director of Government Affairs, Fishermen's Finest, Inc. (North Pacific)
Travis Hunter, President, Fishermen's Marketing Association (CA)
Kim Selkoe, CEO, Get Hooked Seafood (CA)
Cherith Lober, General Manager, GHC Reid & Company, LTD (AS)
Philip Powell, General Counsel, Global Seas LLC (WA)
James Mize, President, Golden Alaska Seafoods (North Pacific)
Matthew Liso, Owner, Goodland Seafood (CA)
Lisa Webb, V.P. Operations, Gorton's Inc. (MA)
Franke Brown, President/Owner, Great Alaska Fisheries (AK)
Sam Galletti, President, Great American Seafood Imports Co. (CA)

Jan Kallshian, President, Industrial Resources, Inc. (WA)
Tony Herring, Owner, F/V Mattie Fay (FL)
Jonathan Curto, Director, Inter-Oceanic Holdings (WA)
Craig Decker, Owner/Operator, F/V McCrea LLC (AK)
Larry O. Higgins, Owner, Jade Fishing (North Pacific)
Casey McManus, Captain, McManus Fisheries LLC (AK)
Trey Pearson, President, JBS Packing Co. (Gulf of Mexico/South Atlantic)
Roger Cummings, Captain, Miss Hopkins II (GA)
Christopher Allinson, Owner/Operator, Miss Leona, Inc. (AK)
Frank Bodin, Vice President, Nordic Group USA (New England)
Thomas J. Kehoe, President & CEO, Kingsbridge Strategies, Inc. (NY)
Dave Hambleton, President, Leader Creek Fisheries (AK)
Mike Hyde, President, North Star Fishing Company (North Pacific)
Evan Marsh, Operator, Liahona Fish Company (AK)
Chris Pugmire, Vice President of Operations, OBI Seafoods (North Pacific)
Kirk Larson, Owner, Lindsay L Inc (NJ)
Robert Puratich, Owner/Operator, F/V Marauder (North Pacific)
Brian Blake, Government Affairs, Ocean Companies (WA)
Ben Landry, Vice President of Public Affairs, Ocean Fleet Services (VA)
Monty Deihl, President & CEO, Ocean Harvesters (VA)
Ruth Christiansen, Director of Government & Industry Affairs, Ocean Peace, Inc. (North Pacific)
Nick Sterrett, Director of Sales, Omega Protein Corp (VA)
Miles Wallace, Owner, Open Ocean Seafood (CA)
Ricardo da Rosa, General Manager, Pacific Princess Partnership, LTD (AS)
Frank Dulcich, CEO, Pacific Seafood
Peter Crispin, President, Pago Pago Marine Charters (AS)
Josh Hedrick, Vice President, Parker Smith & Feek Insurance (WA)
Michael Perry, President, Perry Fisheries, Inc. (WA)
Donna Marsh, Vice Mayor, Petersburg (AK)
Trent Pettersen, Owner/Captain, Pettersen Fisheries (CA)
John Henderschedt, President & CEO, Phoenix Processor Limited Partnership (Pacific/North Pacific)
Doreen M Badeaux, Immediate Past President, Port Arthur International Seafarers' Center (TX)
Rebecca Cornelius, Owner, Portersville Bay Oyster Company (AL)
John Osterhout, Sales Manager, Pump Industries, Inc. (WA)
Eugene Raffield, President, Raffield Fisheries (FL)
Tim Mulcahy, Member, San Diego Fisherman Working Group (CA)
Sheri Shrout, Co-Owner, SB Seafood (CA)
Cary Blank, Owner/President, Seafood Connections of Central Florida LLC (FL)
James Carter Hughes, First Vice Chair, Seafood Producers Cooperative (AK)
Meghan Lapp, Fisheries Liaison, Seafreeze LTD, Seafreeze Shoreside (RI)
Cora Campbell, CEO, Silver Bay Seafood (AK)
Young Choi, CEO, Starkist
Ernest Donini, President, Superior Seafoods, Inc. (FL)
Todd M. Jesse, Owner/Operator, T&T Shellfish LLC (MA)
Cathy Huynh, Vice President, Texas Gulf Seafood, Inc. (TX)
Joe Bundrant, CEO, Trident Seafoods
Bret Scholtes, COO, True North Seafood
Vincent M. Tutiakoff, Sr., Mayor, City of Unalaska (AK)
Tom Enlow, President & CEO, UniSea, Inc. (North Pacific)
William M. Sardinha, President, US Tuna Corporation (FL)
Justin Versaggi, Owner, Versaggi Seafoods, LLC (FL)
Jon Steeves, Director of Operations, Wanchese Fish Company (VA)
Jason Betham, Owner, The Wayfinder Group LLC (AS)
Marcus Alden, President, Westward Fishing Company (North Pacific)
Ben Hyman, Owner, Wild Local Seafood Co. (CA)
Michael Merrifield, Owner, Wild Ocean Seafood (FL)
Thierry Le Guennec, Owner, Wild Tuna Fishing (FL)
Jeremy Zirlott, President, Z-Packed, Inc. (AL)
Sarah Zirlott Beinkman, Manager, Zirlotts Gulf Products (AL)