August 12, 2025 –A judge has blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to reopen large swaths of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, ruling that the NOAA Fisheries letter authorizing fishing in the monument is unlawful.
“We applaud the court for rejecting the Fisheries Service’s attempt to gut fishing protections in the monument without going through the formal rulemaking process, which ensures a voice for all those concerned about protecting the monument’s vital species and ecosystems for today and for future generations,” Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi Executive Director Jonee Peters said in a statement.