Sea Services is a growing cooperative of 160 independent fishermen with 26 vessels across six states. We came together five years ago to keep our boats working when fishing is slow — and to make sure fishermen always have a seat at the table in offshore wind.

President Trump has spent a career in the private sector building things. I can’t think of one guy who isn’t a Trumper in our co-op. We’re blue-collar guys (and some gals too) who get up before dawn, work with our hands, and we trusted him to look out for us. The truth is, we love President Trump.

Ørsted’s Revolution Wind has provided work for more than 80 fishermen and 14 vessels, paying $9.5 million directly over the last two years. The project was approved in 2023 after many years of review and has been under construction since last year – that’s a real commitment dating back a long time. When we’re not fishing, we’ve been guarding the site, and working with fellow fishermen and developers to reduce conflicts. We don’t want a new career path, but this side income has been critical for families just trying to get by when fishing is lean.

That’s why the Department of Interior’s decision to stop work on Revolution Wind is so disappointing. For the non-politician we voted for, Friday’s stop-work order sure seems political — and there is no plan behind it. What’s supposed to happen now? Rip out the 50 foundations already in the seabed? There’s no vision. No alternative. Just a stop sign blocking billions of dollars’ worth of nearly finished work — work that was putting money into fishermen’s pockets.

We all quietly know what’s happening to our ocean. No fisherman loves new structures in the water, but we all have grandkids. We’ve lived with the water getting warmer, watched the fish move north, and had to adapt again and again. Offshore wind isn’t the end of fishing. It’s a necessary inconvenience. And fishermen know how to adapt. We always have.

I know the groups that represent the opposition to offshore wind from fishing. They’re loud, and they’re effective. I’ve known most of them over the years, and I respect some of their work. But my view is different. For us, this was about finding a way to earn a little more, keep our boats moving, and play a role in leaving this place maybe a little better than it would have been without our help.

Over the years, we’ve dealt with a lot of people at Ørsted. They’ve always been straightforward and generous with their time. In the beginning, many of them were European. Today, everyone we deal with is American.

That’s why this feels like such a waste. Revolution Wind has been a lifeline of income for struggling independent fishermen. We weren’t getting rich. We were making ends meet. Now that work has been pulled away.

Most of us are Trump voters, and we still believe in a leader who builds. That’s why we’re asking President Trump to reverse the stop-work order issued to Revolution Wind by Interior. Let this nearly completed American energy project move forward. Let those billions in nearly completed foundations stand. Let the boats keep working. Let fishing families keep afloat. It’s not too late to turn this around and do right by the communities who put their trust in you.

Gary Yerman is a 50-year commercial fisherman and Co-Founder of Sea Services North America.