Friday, March 31, 2023

Play

Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury, Georgia campaign fights to reopen local hospitals, and New Mexico creates first-ever $100M conservation fund.

Play

Former President Donald Trump is indicted by Manhattan's district attorney, House Republicans take aim at renewables in new energy bill and House Dems introduce the Women's Protection Health Act.

Play

Small towns respond to a hidden housing and homelessness crisis, a new national weather prediction system will help close the gap between urban and rural forecasting, and more rural communities are eligible for a design project to boost economic development.

Ocean Monuments Have No Impact on Commercial Fishing

Play

Friday, July 27, 2018   

BOSTON – Public data on commercial fishing show no losses from the creation of protected areas off the New England coast, according to a new analysis.

The commercial fishing industry had opposed the creation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, saying that prohibiting commercial fishing in the two areas would cripple the industry. But according to Brad Sewell, oceans attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, two years after designating those protected areas, the numbers tell a different story.

"After designation, these fisheries have either been unchanged in landings – so, the amount of fish brought to shore – and revenues, or have actually, in one instance, gone up," says Sewell.

He says data from the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program indicate landings and revenue for squid, mackerel and butterfish were up, while tuna and swordfish were unchanged.

Sewell says the U.S. Interior Department, which is considering opening monument waters to commercial fishing, has also found little to no negative impact on the industry, but is ignoring its own findings.

"There was a disclosure from the Department of Interior, with internal emails showing that information that would conflict with that goal of opening up the monument would be removed from documents moving forward in the decision-making," says Sewell.

The Interior Department's actions were reported this week in the Washington Post.

The monument includes the only extinct underwater volcanoes in U.S. Atlantic coastal waters, and canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon – areas Sewell says are rich in endangered and vulnerable species.

"They're home to deep-sea coral forests that are as ancient as our Redwoods in California, endangered whales and rare seabirds, and literally thousands of other species," says Sewell. “Many of which we're actually still identifying."

He adds that the monument, comprising less than 1.5 percent of U.S. Atlantic waters, was never considered a critical area for commercial fishing.


get more stories like this via email

Parents, students and teachers are raising concerns over proposed education policies in the Sunshine State. (Pixabay)

Social Issues

Some students, parents and educators plan to rally to send a message to Gov. Ron DeSantis on April Fools' Day. The group of unions, parents and …


Health and Wellness

Small-business owners in North Carolina are reaching out to legislators for help, citing hospital mergers as one reason their health-care costs are …

Environment

A REASONS TO BE CHEERFFUL/SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM NETWORK/WISCONSIN NEWS CONNCECTION COLLABORATION Milwaukee is tied to a wave of freeway removals in th…


Initial money through the American Rescue Plan Act provided education funding to 140 school districts in Tennessee to support post-pandemic academic recovery, student mental health and schools' ability to reopen safely. (f11photo/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

Tennesseans aren't the only ones mourning the tragic loss of three children and three adults at this week's shooting at Nashville's Covenant School…

Health and Wellness

Doctors in Iowa are studying the brains of babies to learn more about sleep patterns in adults and teens. The United Health Foundation reports one-…

While more than 3,500 people have been awarded the Medal of Honor since it was created by President Abraham Lincoln, only 65 of them are alive today. (The White House)

Social Issues

While National Medal of Honor Month is ending, plans to develop a museum and monument for the award are continuing. Numerous Medal of Honor …

Social Issues

Construction of the Medal of Honor Museum and Foundation is under way in Arlington, Texas - a place to pay tribute to those who've earned the …

Social Issues

Labor leaders in various industries recently celebrated the 85th anniversary of a federal law that laid the groundwork for registered apprenticeship p…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021