Trump restores commercial fishing access in Pacific marine monuments

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – President Trump signed an executive proclamation Thursday restoring commercial fishing access in protected areas of the Pacific.

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The nearly half a million square miles of ocean include zones of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument near Hawai‘i.

The expanded fishing grounds include:

Trump says the action removes unnecessary restrictions on American fishermen and U.S.-flagged fishing vessels, enhancing domestic seafood production and lowering prices.

“This will support millions of dollars in annual harvest,” Trump said during the signing. “It will protect small local fisheries and coastal communities that depend on their livelihoods.”

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“They will increase domestic seafood production to help lower costs for American communities — and you’re talking about millions, tens of millions of dollars of income,” he said.

Critics call it a reckless attack on the world’s greatest ocean sanctuaries.

There’s already a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the opening of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument — which encompasses about 490,000 square miles of ocean southwest of Hawaiʻi — to commercial fishing.

NOAA said its National Marine Fisheries Service and partners will continue coordinating with regional fishery management councils while balancing ecosystem management with commercial fishing.

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