Two New England fishermen have asked a federal court to allow them to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit over commercial fishing access within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, adding another chapter to the years-long legal dispute over the protected Atlantic waters.
Key takeaway
Two New England fishermen have asked to intervene in a federal lawsuit over the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, seeking to defend the Trump administration's rollback of the commercial fishing ban while environmental groups continue their legal challenge.
According to a July 31 press release from Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), fishermen Frank Green of New York and Bob Conrad of Vermont filed a motion to intervene in Conservation Law Foundation v. Trump. Represented by PLF, the fishermen are seeking to defend the Trump administration's decision to rescind the commercial fishing ban within the monument and argue that the ban was unlawfully established under the Antiquities Act.
"Presidents have abused their power under the Antiquities Act for decades, drastically exceeding its narrow scope and disregarding Congress to restrict Americans' right to productively use natural resources," PLF attorney Frank Garrison said in the release. "The fishermen who work those waters shouldn't have their livelihoods threatened by unilateral presidential decree."
The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, located roughly 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod, was established by President Barack Obama in 2016 and encompasses about 5,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. Commercial fishing within the monument has been repeatedly rescinded and reinstated across successive presidential administrations, creating years of legal uncertainty.
According to PLF, Green and Conrad contend that the Antiquities Act, a 1906 law, does not authorize presidents to designate marine national monuments in the ocean or prohibit commercial fishing within those areas. The organization argues the Trump administration's rollback should remain in place.
The motion to intervene comes several months after a coalition of environmental organizations filed suit challenging President Trump's February proclamation reopening the monument to commercial fishing.
As National Fisherman previously reported, the lawsuit was filed by the Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity and whale-watch naturalist Zack Klyver. The plaintiffs argue that President Trump exceeded his legal authority by removing protections established under the Antiquities Act.
In a May 2026 statement, Chloe Fross, a staff attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, said the organization sought creation of the monument because it protects "unique and irreplaceable" marine life, including deep-sea corals, endangered whales and other sensitive species. Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director for the Center for Biological Diversity, argued that reopening the monument to commercial fishing would remove critical protections for the ecosystem.
The environmental groups also contend that allowing commercial fishing within the monument could cause long-term damage to vulnerable deep-sea habitats while providing limited economic benefit to the fishing industry.
PLF, meanwhile, argues the repeated changes in policy have left commercial fishermen facing uncertainty over access to the area. According to the organization, commercial fishermen could face substantial fines and loss of fishing licenses if the ban is reinstated.
The case, Conservation Law Foundation v. Trump, continues in federal court as both fishing interests and environmental organizations seek to shape the future management of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.
