Atlantic’s 1st Marine Monument
The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, covering 4,913 square miles of ocean located 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod, became the first marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean last Thursday through designation by President Obama under the 1906 Antiquities Act.
There are 124 national monuments across the United States and its territories, among them the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, and Giant Sequoia, but only four marine national monuments. The other three — the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands and Rose Atoll, and the Papahanaumokuakea — are all in the Pacific Ocean.
The new marine national monument covers an area that contains canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and underwater mountains known as seamounts that reach nearly to the ocean’s surface, according to the National Audubon Society, a wildlife conservation organization. The protected area is home to a wide variety of sea life including sperm, right, and sei whales, marlin, tuna, sharks, sea turtles, dolphin, and microscopic plankton. Unique and colorful coldwater coral, some the size of small trees, are found at the bottom of the monument’s deep canyons. Scientists recently discovered that Atlantic puffins spend the winter feeding on the krill and small fish that thrive in the monument’s nutrient-rich waters.
The Marine National Monument Program works with federal and regional partners and stakeholders to conserve and protect the marine resources in the protected areas, according fpir.noaa.gov, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website.
Mining, drilling, and ultimately commercial fishing are banned under the marine national monument designation. The Atlantic red crab and lobster fisheries will be phased out over seven years while other commercial fishing operations are required to leave the area within 60 days. However, recreational fishing will continue as before.
The area covered by the new marine national monument is a popular offshore fishing spot for anglers pursuing billfish, tuna, and mahimahi near the ocean surface. The local recreational fishing and boating community had argued that recreational fishing should be allowed to continue because the type of fishing practiced in these areas, trolling baits for example, has no interaction with the bottom habitats that are being protected.
Not unexpectedly, New England’s commercial fishing fleet is angered by the termination of commercial fishing rights within the waters of the new maritime national monument.
“We don’t normally create laws in this country by the stroke of an imperial pen,” says Bob Vanasse, a spokesman for the National Coalition for Fishing Communities. In contrast to the detailed regulatory process for creating a national marine sanctuary, the designation of a marine national monument only requires a presidential proclamation. Vanasse anticipates the offshore lobster industry will lose about $10 million per year in revenue as a result of the federal action.
It’s reasonable to assume that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument will not be the first and last marine national monument in our region. Sooner or later recreational and commercial fishermen will again have to persuade federal officals that their practices do not interfere with broad marine life and ecosystem conservation goals.
Let’s hope that recreational fishing continues to be permitted within marine national monuments and that any decision about terminating commercial fishing takes into consideration not only the industry’s value to the local economy but also its importance to the impacted communities’ heritage.
Meanwhile, action is heating up in local waters. False albacore can be found from Three Mile Harbor to Montauk and shore anglers are taking bass and blues from ocean beaches. Those casting tins to false albacore without success might try adding a small spearing imitation fly as a teaser. Max Gorolski, all of 6 years old, proved age is just a number by using a fly rod to catch his first albie. Bruce Stevens caught a fiesty false albacore on a Deadly Dick, thereby reversing the “just one more” curse placed upon him years ago by offended fish gods.
Harvey Bennett at the Tackle Shop in Amagansett reported that bass and blues were taken throughout the day from the beach behind the White Sands Motel on Napeague and at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk. Kingfish are thick in Three Mile Harbor and snappers are still chomping in the bay, he added.
Paulie’s Tackle in Montauk reported that surfcasters were finding small bass and big blues around the Point and south side.
Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton reported that small mackerel were caught outside Three Mile Harbor and schools of bunker continue to move around the bay.
T.J. at Gone Fishing Marina in Montauk reported outstanding fishing with boaters catching striped bass day and night on eels, and fluke up to nine pounds. The sea bass and porgy bites remain hot off Montauk Point, he added.
Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor reported catches of albies and up to 10-pound mackerel at Shinnecock. Mike Mansir landed a seven-pound fluke and George Pharoah jigged a pile of sea bass on the south side of Montauk, he added. Tight Lines Tackle is now closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The annual Montauk SurfMasters Tournament is under way but no fish had been weighed-in as of Saturday. The Montauk Surf Fishing Classic will be held tomorrow through Sunday. Montauk State Park at 631-668-3781 has tournament information.
The fluke season ended yesterday.
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The Star’s fishing columnist on can be followed on Twitter, @ehstarfishing. Photos of prize catches can be emailed to David Kuperschmid at fishreport @ehstar.com.