On Aug. 25, 2022, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service thanking the agency for rejecting a plan to reopen a 22-mile section of the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern to bottom trawling for rock shrimp.
Pew’s letter emphasized that keeping protections in place shows the Biden administration’s strong commitment to science and conservation efforts, including the America the Beautiful initiative.