US citizens will suffer from a Hudson Canyon Marine Sanctuary
On June 8 ,2022, the Biden administration announced its newest attack on American small businessmen by declaring the Hudson Canyon region as a protected marine sanctuary. The Hudson canyon is the largest and deepest canyon on the US east coast, about the size of the Grand Canyon. It was created by the outflow of the Hudson River over the course of millions of years and because it is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the east coast, it is also one of the best fishing grounds. The proposed marine sanctuary would devastate multiple different fisheries that utilize
different gear types and would create absolutely no benefit to our nation.
In a non-sensible announcement of Biden’s plan, NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, joyously proclaimed that “A sanctuary near one of the most densely populated areas of the Northeast U.S. would connect diverse communities across the region to the ocean and the canyon in new and different ways”. This “woke” speak will make all the NGO’s that pushed this job destroying effort, feel good about themselves, aside from that, no one will benefit in the least from this action. The closest part of this sanctuary is about sixty miles offshore, with some of the region
being over 100 miles offshore, so who exactly is going to see this wonderful sanctuary, especially with the present price of fuel? How many people have visited the North-East Sea mount national monument as sightseers since its creation during the Obama years? I’m pretty sure the answer is zero. But we know that hundreds of fishermen lost their jobs from it, and access to many valuable fish species were taken away from fishermen and the consumers who buy fresh fish, and have to pay more, as less product results in higher prices. What in the name of wokeness does “would connect diverse communities across the region to the ocean and the canyon in new and different ways” mean? I can imagine a promo poster for the sanctuary picturing a rainbow stretching from the New York city skyline out to the great Hudson area where a whale is seen basking in the glory of a sea of windmills.
The only thing that this proposal will connect is one huge, closed area to another, the Hudson north wind area, with the Hudson Canyon Marine Sanctuary. This means that a huge amount of historical fishing grounds will become unfishable, either because in the case of the Hudson sanctuary,
fishing of all types will be prohibited, within the adjacent windfarm, not only will fishing be prohibited, but the marine environment will be attacked by mammoth steel and fiberglass structures emitting loud noises and electrical fields. You see, it is the same Non-Governmental Organizations that are shoving windfarms down our throats for the benefit of foreign companies, that are pushing for this marine protected area. Perhaps they realize that their windmill scam has been exposed for not only being absurdly expensive but as having very negative effects on the marine ecosystem., so to relieve their guilt, they think they can mitigate their causing the extinction of the Northern Right Whale by the thousands of windmills they plan on putting in their migratory path, by also making commercial fishermen extinct.
So, lets get something straight about the Hudson Canyon area and its pristine wilderness we have to protect, trawlers have been working the bottom there down to two hundred fathoms for close to one hundred years now. I was a participant in the Hudson canyon lobster trawl fishery that existed
from the 1950’s to 1980, and reached from seventy fathoms on the east side down to over two hundred fathoms on the west side. There isn’t a square inch of the Hudson bottom that hasn’t been touched by fishing gear of some type, so why are we closing down an area that is one of the most productive fishing areas on the east coast? Only in the minds of Democratic Marxists can it be imagined as being a good thing to starve people, whether its of food, or energy, so they can save the world from a controversial eco-disaster that may not exist, [while their Wall Street handlers reap the financial benefits]. Meanwhile the starry eyed Non-Governmental Organization employees who lobby to stop the production of multiple sustainably managed fisheries thus decreasing the world food supply in a time of dire need thanks to the Russia Ukraine war and the resultant shut off of Ukraine’s grain exports into the world market, gleefully celebrate this action. Why? Because they are immune to rational thought and the consequences of certain actions. Ideology is the only thing they understand, human suffering? Who cares, as long as it’s not me.
What’s worse, slowly reducing our country’s fossil fuel dependence and keeping our economy strong and powerful, or closing down oil and gas drilling causing a world-wide shortage and astronomical fuel prices? Let’s not forget that those outrageous prices were most beneficial to our enemies, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, who we are now begging to produce more oil. That huge surge of money emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine and bring the world to the edge of Armageddon, while the democratic Marxists who caused all this, swing from a rainbow drinking chardonnay out of crystal glasses. While we may think that the next world war will be fought over energy, it’s just as likely to be fought over food, and we need to produce as much as we can. Closing one of the best fishing grounds on the east coast will only exacerbate the worlds food shortage, but don’t worry, you can always use one of the thousands of three hundred foot long unrecyclable windmill blades to chew on.
With the NOAA announcement from Spinrad the fishing industry knows where they stand. NOAA will do absolutely nothing to stop the destruction of this country’s oldest industry, the very industry that the National Marine Fishery Service was created to protect, promote, and preserve, over forty-five years ago, is, in Orwellian fashion being destroyed by their protector, who dreams of rainbows, and unicorns.
How many different fisheries are going to be affected by a Hudson Canyon Closure? Everyone of them. When you close large areas to fishing, that causes effort shifts to other areas, and other fisheries seemingly unrelated to the first become affected by new entrants pushed out of their old grounds. These new entrants put more pressure on these other fishermen’s historical fisheries, sometimes at the detriment of all the fishermen, and sometimes by the collapse of the stock that can’t handle the added pressure, complicated by a management system unable to adjust to the effort shift.
These are the major trawl fisheries that are presently pursued in the proposed Hudson Marine Sanctuary, Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, Loligo Squid, Illex squid, Whiting, Mackerel,Butterfish, and Monkfish. Potters trap Jonah crabs, red crabs and lobster, while longline fishermen catch Tilefish in the bottom depths, and the pelagic longline fishery targets Tuna’s and Swordfish. Scallop vessels fish down to forty-five fathoms and also stand to lose more bottom. For what? What is the benefit to our nation? That is the question, and the answer is nothing. The Hudson Marine Sanctuary is a wet dream of the progressive left that is just another attempt at destroying our world as we know it. If all the wind farms that are proposed for the US east coast are built, that in itself would create marine sanctuary’s covering one third of the continental shelf. Isn’t that enough? Why not just ban fishing altogether, so we can slowly starve to death, which is so much better than having Joe accidentally push the red self-destruct button.
We are living in a dangerous time where we are closer then ever to nuclear oblivion and the extinction of most of the world, thanks to foolish policies that deny the reality of one action that had an equal and opposite reaction. The Biden administration decided that it was a good idea to cut back the
production of fossil fuels to save the world from global warming, totally ignoring the fact that China and India are now producing half the worlds greenhouse gases, and they are increasing the production of coal burning plants every year. Our slowdown in fossil fuel production doubled the price of oil before Putin’s invasion, and the reckless spending caused inflation unseen seen the Jimmy Carter years. This all happened before the Russian invasion, which took place because Putin knew he was dealing with a senile old man, and was flush with the billions in oil profits Biden’s policy produced for him. Now both Putin and Biden have their finger on the button and one little miscalculation and no one will remember global warming. Nuclear war is real and the effects will be mass extinction level. Ukraine’s agricultural production will be substantially reduced for years thanks to this war, which means there will be a global shortage of food grains. Ukraine is not only one of the largest food exporters in the world, but they have
massive oil and gas reserves in the Donbas region which Putin is intent on stealing. Shutting down theUS commercial fishing fleet will only increase the world’s food production problem. We cannot afford to live in a bubble and pretend that actions don’t have consequences, each little drop in food production brings us closer to world war.
Jim Lovgren
And by the way Jim, great job bringing this to light, as always!
I to fished those grounds in the sixties and seventies ,for whiting in the spring ,that gave our haddock and cod fishiers a break .We fished in the 600 foot range ,and all the years never caught any of coral or reefs .we never reached the bottom so how could we do any harm? This will kill fisherman from Rode Island to Maine .Question what can we do to overturn this?
This proposal still has a public comment timeline, but you’ll have to search for where to send the comments, It may be 45 days. If you are concerned, its time to contact your congressmen and senators and let them know how badly this will affect the industry. In reality the only way to stop this is to vote democrats out of office. If the republicans can retake the house and senate in the November elections then this action can be reversed. Those in the industry that voted for Biden or Schumer are getting what they deserved, bankrupting fuel prices and no where left to fish. And I’m sorry that I have had to take a political position on this issue, because fisheries should not be affected by politics, but even a blind man can see that the democrats are intent on destroying the fishing industry with their push for offshore windfarms and marine sanctuaries without thought of how the country will feed itself. Believe me Food will be the weapon of mass destruction this century, and the Wall street investors are standing by to profit on your misery.
You need not apologize sir. On the contrary, those who voted for this mess owe you and the rest of those suffering at the hands of these democrat socialist woke despicable bastards the apology.
Back in time,commercial fishing was was real important necessity of growth of the U.S.A.,In fact fishermen where exempt from military service ,during the Civil War ! Time have change drastically changed since then, In the mid 1980’s congress traded our fishing industry for foreign trade, American Technology for foreign fish ! Then in the 1990’s our government started the destruction of our U.S.A. Fishing Industry & I believe this incompetence will continue until the term limits are put on these politicians that works for themselves , instead of by the people for the people !
This proposal was written by the Wildlife Conservation Society. They own and operate 5 zoos and aquariums in and around NYC. Should an organization that captures and cages wild animals, and then parades them for profit, be involved in anything conservation related? Seems like a conflict of interest to me. This needs to be brought to everyones attention and should help defeating this disastrous proposal.