Trump’s Corporate Allies Use COVID-19 to Roll Back Critical Ocean Protections

The Trump administration is accused of rolling back protections for ocean sanctuaries, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, to benefit corporate interests like StarKist Tuna. The author asserts that these sanctuaries are essential for climate resiliency, mitigating risks such as rising sea levels, and allowing fish populations to rebuild, which ultimately supports the seafood industry and vulnerable coastal communities.

• The Trump administration opened the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, located off the coast of southern New England, to commercial fishing via an executive order in June, an action the author describes as breaking the law.
• Under the influence of corporations such as StarKist Tuna, the administration is considering opening the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii and the Pacific to commercial fishing.
• Ocean sanctuaries are described as critical for economic and planetary resiliency against climate change because they provide areas for fish populations to recover and protect coastal habitats that mitigate extreme weather and rising sea levels.
• Scientists indicate that a minimum of 30 percent of the world's oceans must be protected by 2030 to ensure the health of marine species and fisheries and to defend against the most severe impacts of climate change.

APA

Jones, S. (2020). Trump’s Corporate Allies Use COVID-19 to Roll Back Critical Ocean Protections. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/trumps-corporate-allies-use-covid-to-roll-back-critical-ocean-protections/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. Trump’s Corporate Allies Use COVID-19 to Roll Back Critical Ocean Protections. Mighty Earth, 2020. https://mightyearth.org/article/trumps-corporate-allies-use-covid-to-roll-back-critical-ocean-protections/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=Trump’s Corporate Allies Use COVID-19 to Roll Back Critical Ocean Protections |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=14 August 2020 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/trumps-corporate-allies-use-covid-to-roll-back-critical-ocean-protections/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2020trumps, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{Trump’s Corporate Allies Use COVID-19 to Roll Back Critical Ocean Protections}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/trumps-corporate-allies-use-covid-to-roll-back-critical-ocean-protections/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }