Spoiler: we have a 'Lobster King' now.
This afternoon, President Trump held a roundtable with commercial fishing stakeholders in Maine which led to quite a few announcements and assignments for his senior leadership. Here’s what I caught, ICYMI:
The President signed an Executive Order (edit: text here) lifting a ban on commercial fishing in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a 5,000 square mile protected area established by President Obama in late 2016. Unlike Utah's Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments which were dramatically reduced 2017, this action will not change the size of the monument.
President Trump threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on China and the EU for their tariffs on US lobsters, stating that the US will “match their tariff, plus”. The President directed Peter Navarro, Assistant to the President, to work on this as our new "Lobster King".
When asked to stop NOAA Fisheries actions to address right whale entanglements that could hinder Maine's lobster fishery, the President said to Secretary Bernhardt; “You work that David, get it done.” and to the larger audience present, “As long as we can protect the whale, I’m gonna do it.”
On the New England Fishery Management Council’s proposed action under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan which could impose a 100% observer coverage requirement on fishing vessels, the President directed Secretary Bernhardt to “Get it out.”
Have a great weekend all, and Happy National Ocean Month!