Scott Lang Defends Fishing Industry After Marine Monument Declaration

Former New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang is rushing to support the fishing industry after President Obama established a marine monument off the coast of Massachusetts.

The nearly 5,000 sq mi area will be fully closed to all commercial fishing in seven years. Lang says he understands the motive of protecting the seabed, but fishing has nothing to do with that. "Catching fish in that area has nothing to do with making sure that you're not drilling, that you're not mining, that you'r not spoiling the bottom of this terrain through some sort of commercial manner," vented Lang. "Fishing has been compatible with the sea for as long as men and women have been on Earth."

Lang says there are already ample regulations in place to keep fishermen from depleting certain species, and many fishing technologies developed in the 21st century are designed to protect and prevent unwanted catches.

The industry is contemplating whether to sue the federal government, lobby congress, or abide by the rules of the monument declaration.