November 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is proposing to reopen approximately 408,000 square miles of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial longline and purse seine fishing, advancing an effort to restore fishing access to waters closed to the industry for more than a decade.
According to Maui Now, the proposed rule would allow commercial fishing between 50 and 200 nautical miles of Johnston Atoll, Wake Island and Jarvis Island. The waters have been closed to commercial fishing since the monument’s expansion in 2014, although fishing fleets briefly regained access in 2025.
The proposal advances a recommendation made by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) in March, when the council voted to restore commercial fishing access in portions of four Pacific marine national monuments. Council members argued that reopening the waters would support domestic fishing fleets and island economies while maintaining federal fishing regulations, including catch limits, reporting requirements, and protected species safeguards.