April 16, 2026 — A renewed push to reopen the U.S. Pacific Marine National Monuments to commercial fishing is setting up another round of tension among fishing access, conservation priorities, and cultural protections in some of the most remote waters in the world.
Earlier this month, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) recommended allowing commercial fishing across all four Pacific monuments– Papahānaumokuākea, Pacific Islands Heritage, Marianas Trench, and Rose Atoll– areas that together span roughly 3.1 million square kilometers of protected ocean, according to Mongabay.
Wespac framed the move as a return to balance. The recommendation, the council said, is “about restoring sustainable fishing.” But the proposal has drawn criticism from conservation groups and Native Hawaiian advocates, who argue the monuments were established to safeguard ecosystems and cultural connections that extend far beyond commercial interests.
“I am sad that with all these restrictions in our areas, we are slowly losing some of our culture,” Wespac council member Pedro Itibus said in a press release.