US Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen. Photo: radewagen.house.gov
The United States President Donald Trump has been asked to remove all marine monument fishing prohibitions established by the past two administrations.
The request is from the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Congressman Rob Bishop, and American Samoa's Congresswoman Aumua Amata.
The letter says prohibitions on commercial fishing in marine monuments, or reserves, has impacted the US fishing fleet as well as forcing one cannery operation in Pago Pago to close.
According to the two Republicans, closing US waters to domestic fisheries is federal overreach and obstructs well managed, sustainable US fishing industries in favour of foreign counterparts.
The letter says over half of US waters in the Pacific have been closed to commercial fishing by a stroke of the pen without specific evidence, socioeconomic analysis, or a deliberative and public process.
