Photo: Alamy
President Trump is standing up for Maine fishermen yet again. On Tuesday, he posted on Truth Social about the complex obstacles hindering the Maine fishing industry and his history of fighting to ensure that residents keep their fishing rights.
He wrote, “As the wonderful people of the Great State of Maine know, I did something for them, in particular the Fishing Industry, which everyone said was virtually impossible to do, or get done. I approved FULL Fishing Rights in the Ocean Waters, directly off the Coast of Maine, that were viciously taken away from them by the Obama/Biden Administration.”
He went on to describe that, despite this, Canada allowed fishing near the area and criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to infringe on fishermen’s rights by creating government-regulated marine monuments.
According to NOAA Fisheries, hundreds of thousands of square miles of the ocean floor are being preserved through government-controlled National Monuments.
However, in 2024, before becoming Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was investigating government takeovers of farmland and fishing waters and found that, although these areas are taken for what are considered conservation efforts, the land is not always properly cared for by American leaders.
The two industries that America was built on were fishing and farming – and we’re killing them both. On his boat in Maine, commercial fisherman Captain Devyn Campbell and I discussed the mysterious disappearance of cod off the coast of Maine and the latest reasons why small-scale… pic.twitter.com/5T70ZPSEXO
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 10, 2024
He discussed the impact of the government’s use of testing seismic airguns in Maine waters and how it allegedly killed off the cod population.
According to the University of Rhode Island and the Inner Space Center, seismic airguns are designed to produce loud compressed air bubbles that travel the ocean floor. The sonar response sends back sound signals that describe the ocean floor’s landscape. These can offer a more accurate picture of the geographical formations underwater, but most aquatic animals communicate through underwater sound.
For decades, researchers have been working to understand sonar communications. In his 1975 book, “A Seal Called Andre,” Harry Goodwin detailed how his studies with the famous seal from Maine, Andre, helped improve military sonar understanding as he learned about how the animal communicated underwater.
In 2023, Science Direct published a study on the Effects of airgun discharges used on seismic surveys regarding small crustacean nauplii and found that immediate mortality rates increased for up to 6 days.
Maine's fishing industry is more than lobsters. Elver fishing has been at risk for years, but NEFSA board member Abden Simmons has been fighting salty to save it.
— NE Fishermen's Stewardship Assoc. (@fishstewardship) May 14, 2025
“You should be rewarding people who have been good stewards of the ocean, not punishing them.” pic.twitter.com/RkB5nPlVQ7
Meanwhile, mainstream outlets like AP News blame “overfishing” for the decline of aquatic life and support more government regulation, while continuing to overlook new oceanic technologies, such as seismic surveys.
Thanks to President Trump, this attack on fishing is being combated. In his recent post on the situation, he declared that he is “now working diligently to bring these valuable Fishing Rights back to Maine.”
Thank you President Trump for standing up and fighting for Maine fishermen and women. As Governor, I directly opposed any so-called monuments impacting our sustainable fishing industry and will continue to oppose these in Congress. https://t.co/bKmIFKJP7A
— Paul LePage (@MainePaulLePage) May 27, 2025
The 74th governor of Maine, who is now running for Congress, Paul LePage, publicly thanked the 47th president for protecting Maine fishermen and called out the unnecessary government takeover of fishing waters.
He stated, “As Governor, I directly opposed any so-called monuments impacting our sustainable fishing industry and will continue to oppose these in Congress.”
