Trump's decision is to help fishermen. Scientists call that they will only interrupt them

On Thursday, the President of the United States Donald Trump signed two executive ordinances regarding fisheries in the pacific waters of the USA. One of them concerned the National Monument of the Maritime Heritage of the Pacific Islands – a nature reserve, occupying over a million square kilometers. This area was first separated and protected in 2009 by the decision of George W. Bush and extended to the current range by Barack Obama in 2014. Until now, the law forbade commercial fishing on it.

In the proclamation, Trump assured that the proposed changes would be supported by American commercial fishing without a negative impact on the resources within the monument. He added that as a result of the ban, American fishing units lost access to almost half of the exclusive United States Economic Zone around the Pacific Islands. Trump estimated that this law is harmful to the territories of the United States, such as American Samoa, whose economy depends on the fish industry.

– I find that properly managed commercial halves would not threaten facilities of scientific and historical significance included in the area – the president emphasized. He noted that the request to relax the law in the waters of the National Maritime Heritage of the Pacific Islands was the initiative of Aumui Amata, a representative of Samoa American to Congress. The politician herself emphasized that this solution is important for the stability and future of the American economy and US food security.

Trump's decision met with a negative reaction of ecological and scientific organizations, which reminded that the protected area is home for many species of animals, from corals to sharks, rays, mussels or pounding. As they pointed out, the long -term impact of commercial fishing in this area can be so drastic that it will exceed potential benefits, and can even threaten the food safety of the United States.

– This is a gift for industrial fishing fleets and cheek to science and the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands – said Maxx Phillips from the Hawaiian office of the organization of the Research on Biodiversity. – These islands are not only dots on the map, they are lifeguards of biological diversity and cultural heritage. This reckless decision reveals the integrity of the environment in favor of short -term profits and will have a lasting impact on sea life – he supplemented.

Bob Richmond maritime biologist added that the opening of the area in half can ultimately harm commercial fishermen.

– Scientific studies have shown that the protection of resources in reserves increases the number of fish available to commercial fishermen in waters outside protected areas – he said. – It's a bad move at the wrong time. We are attacking our children's “marine bank accounts”, refusing them to eat food in the future – he explained.