With the stroke of his quill pen, King Trump has opened the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. As reported in the New York Times, the 490,000 square-mile preserve, which was established by the George W. Bush Administration and expanded by the Obama Administration, contains hundreds of atolls and seamounts that harbor rich coral beds, vital to the health of the regional marine ecosystem. The Preserve lies 750 miles west of Hawaii.
Of course, Trump is focused solely on the economic benefits of mass-market fishing, not on the health of the marine environment. As long as he remains in power, we can expect many more of these sudden and dramatic attacks on conservation programs and protected natural habitat.
Having destroyed our economy, our alliances and our civil rights, he is moving on to Nature herself. That is a battle he cannot win.
