June 18, 2026 — Top Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) officials have welcomed US President Donald Trump’s executive order, which will open up nearly half a million square kilometers of protected Pacific waters for commercial fishing, despite warnings from conservation advocates the move could weaken protections for culturally and environmentally significant waters.
Trump’s ‘Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific’ executive order, signed on 11 June, applies to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument around Hawai’i, the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument around American Samoa.
NMI Governor David Apatang, Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality asdministrator Floyd Masga, and former Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council vice chair John Gourley have welcomed Trump’s proclamation, which will reopen parts of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument to commercial fishing.
Apatang said it restores access to designated fishing grounds while maintaining federal fisheries management and environmental safeguards.
“For generations, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands have relied on the ocean for sustenance, culture, and economic opportunity,” Apatang said.
“This proclamation acknowledges the importance of America’s Pacific territories and supports opportunities for responsible fisheries development while maintaining strong conservation standards.”