June 12, 2026 — President Trump signed an executive proclamation Thursday aimed at restoring commercial fishing access in protected areas of the Pacific.
The nearly half a million square miles of ocean include zones of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
The expanded fishing grounds include:
- The Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument
- The Mau Zone and Ho‘omalu Zone, and areas seaward of 50 nautical miles within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
- Waters between 12 and 50 nautical miles surrounding Rose Atoll within the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument
Trump said 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 in the Oval Office. “It will protect small local fisheries and coastal communities that depend on their livelihoods.”
“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.
Eric Kingma, the executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, was among those present for the signing.