Washington D.C. — October 8th, 2021

Today, President Joe Biden will sign a Proclamation restoring protections to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, the first marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean. This monument, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, protects unique geological features and habitats for whales, puffins, turtles, and deep-sea corals.

North Atlantic right whale mother and calf. These whales are one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, with less than 400 individuals remaining, and they call the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument their home. Photo by NOAA

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts MNM was originally created in September 2016 by former President Obama in an effort to protect these unique underwater habitats and species. Part of the original Proclamation was the closure of commercial fishing in this area, which can be devastating for deep-sea corals due to the use of bottom trawling. Former President Trump reversed the ban on commercial fishing in June 2020, and this Proclamation today will restore the original protections to this monument.

We very much appreciate the Administration and the Department of the Interior taking this action to reinforce the importance of protecting habitats for underwater wildlife as well as for land-based wildlife. We at the National Wildlife Refuge Association thank President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for their tireless work to protect our natural environment and the National Wildlife Refuge System.