Atlantic Marine Reserve Reopened to Commercial Fishing
February 11, 2026
The Trump administration recently reopened a vast marine reserve in the Atlantic Ocean to commercial fishing, declaring the protection set by Presidents Obama and Biden to be unnecessary, the New Bedford Light reports. In a different, earlier, perspective, Tundi Agardy details in Issues why such reserves are critical. “A solid body of data has been amassed that suggests that marine protected areas are truly effective in meeting many important conservation goals,” she writes. And she calls for action from federal, state, and local governments, as well as businesses and consumers, to advance “a well-planned and executed system of marine reserves.”