Saving Seafood

Pacific Islands Fishery Management: Honoring Tradition and Driving Innovation

November 2, 2026 — Spanning more than 1.7 million square nautical miles of ocean—larger than the continental United States—the U.S. Pacific Islands region could be defined by its sheer scale.

But island communities have long understood: The vast blue waters between American Samoa, Hawai‘i, and the Mariana archipelagos do not separate island communities; they connect them. Between isolated shoals, atolls, and seamounts stretches a bountiful, living seascape. It’s home to some of the world’s biggest fish and even bigger fishing cultures.

Fishing traditions have shaped the daily lives of Pacific Islands communities for thousands of years. From customary harvests shared across communities, to one of the nation’s highest-value fresh tuna fisheries supplying local and national markets, the ocean remains a key provider in the region.

For 50 years, the Magnuson-Stevens Act has allowed NOAA Fisheries and regional partners to safeguard fisheries that are among our nation’s most prized. This management framework—as dynamic as the region and its resources—enables us to protect fisheries at home while pioneering new standards across the Pacific.

From Coral Reefs to the High Seas

In the Pacific Islands region, a single fishing trip rarely fits neatly into standard categories. A day on the water is often part livelihood, part lifestyle. Some of the morning’s catch may be sold at market. A portion may be brought home for dinner. The rest might be shared across the community, building and maintaining social connections. In addition to these benefits, fishing promotes a personal sense of pride and perpetuates culture and traditions across the Pacific Islands region.

Managing these resources involves navigating incredible complexity. From shallow coral reefs down steep drop-offs to the open ocean, fishermen harvest hundreds of species across the region. Their fishing gear is as diverse as the catch itself: Traditional hand-harvesting methods and modern electronic rigs target everything from deepwater snappers like ‘ōpakapaka to giant billfish.

Commercial fishing also powers the regional economy. Harvesting and processing are fundamental to local livelihoods. In American Samoa, the tuna cannery drives the territorial economy, accounting for 99.5 percent of exports and 84 percent of private sector employment.

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

HAWAII: Hawai‘i establishes Office of Marine Affairs to manage blue economy

July 8, 2026 — Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green has signed into law the establishment of an Office of Marine Affairs, which will be dedicated to managing the state’s blue economy.

“It’s difficult to articulate just how important the ocean is to our people,” Green said following a 6 July bill signing. “That relationship is at the heart of Hawai‘i’s identity, shaping our communities in every way. Protecting marine health and utilizing resources sustainably and with intention is a necessary commitment to our past and our future.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Council appointments renew debate over Pacific monuments

July 7, 2026 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) will add two leaders from the Hawaiʻi longline industry to its ranks next month, a move supporters say brings extensive fisheries expertise to the council but one that conservation advocates argue further tilts the federal advisory body toward commercial fishing interests. According to a recent report by Civil Beat, the appointments come as the Trump administration continues efforts to expand commercial fishing access in federally protected Pacific waters.

Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Longline Association, was appointed to one of Wespac’s at-large seats, while Roger Dang was reappointed to the council’s second open at-large seat. Dang owns interests in multiple longline vessels operating in Hawaiʻi’s longline fleet. Both appointments take effect Aug. 11.

Josh Green nominated Kingma and Dang, along with two other candidates, and both he and longtime Wespac executive director Kitty Simonds cited the pair’s extensive experience in seafood, fisheries management and policy.

The appointments follow recent actions by the Trump administration to reopen portions of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and two other Pacific marine monuments to U.S. commercial fishing. Kingma and Dang were among industry representatives present at the White House in June when President Donald Trump signed the proclamation beginning that process.

Read the full article at

NOAA eyes potential changes to Alaska sea lion protections as Trump urges boosted seafood harvests

July 6, 2026 — Federal regulators plan to reevaluate fishing closure boundaries established to protect endangered Steller sea lions in Alaska, part of a national Trump administration push to cut regulation of U.S. commercial seafood harvests.

The Steller sea lion protections are among a series of rules that the administration is seeking to relax or change to carry out a mandate from President Donald Trump to increase catches, reduce regulation and ensure that the nation is “the world’s dominant seafood leader.”

The recommended changes were released on Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries service and are in response to Trump’s 2025 executive order titled “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.” They could affect oceans from New England and the Caribbean to the tropical Pacific and the Bering Sea.

Several months of public consultations resulted in a list of recommendations that “we believe will reduce burdens on domestic fishing, increase production, stabilize markets, improve access, and enhance economic profitability,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said in a statement.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media

CNMI leaders back Trump’s order to open protected Pacific waters to commercial fishing

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.”

Read the full article at Samoa News

Executive Proclamation Restores Commercial Fishing in Pacific Marine Monuments, Unlocks Economic Opportunity

June 11, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On June 11, 2026, President Trump signed an “Executive Proclamation Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific,” opening additional prized fishing grounds to hard-working American fishermen and United States flagged fishing vessels. This bold Executive action opens more economic opportunities for commercial fishermen and continues to strengthen the economic security of coastal communities. 

NOAA is proud to support the Administration’s pledge to restore U.S. seafood competitiveness through the America First Fishing Policy. The President’s Executive Proclamation comes as a direct result of feedback from the U.S. fishing industry, and his action will continue to increase economic opportunities for American fishermen. 

“President Trump is once again delivering for American fishermen by opening prized Pacific fishing grounds with this Executive Proclamation,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “By restoring commercial fishing in the remote Pacific, we are creating new economic opportunity for coastal communities and restoring U.S. seafood competitiveness.”

Previous prohibitions on commercial fishing in the Pacific Ocean forced American commercial fishermen further offshore into international waters to compete against poorly regulated foreign fishing fleets. Restoring access to these valuable fishing grounds within the U.S. exclusive economic zone will give diligent and honest American fishermen closer access to tuna and other pelagic species. 

“Restoring commercial fishing access to these vital areas reflects the continued commitment of this Administration to American fisheries, which are built on the foundation of rigorous science, robust monitoring, strong enforcement, and the daily commitment of our dedicated fishermen,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “This historic action will lead to more U.S.-caught fish on American tables.” 

This Proclamation recognizes the effectiveness and strength of U.S. fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This year the Act commemorates 50 years of continued science-based fisheries management. American fishermen are responsible stewards of our ocean resources, working to ensure the long-term health of fish stocks and marine ecosystems and maintaining a nutritious, sustainable food source for Americans.

The expanded fishing grounds for American fishermen in the Pacific restored through this Executive Proclamation 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 

The announcement comes amid a series of actions taken by the Trump Administration to support commercial fisheries in an ongoing effort to restore America’s seafood competitiveness. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and its partners will continue balancing the responsible management of the Pacific Islands marine national monuments ecosystems with the engagement of commercial fisheries, including coordination with the regional fishery management councils. 

Trump restores commercial fishing in protected areas of Pacific Ocean

June 11, 2026 — President Donald Trump took action June 11 to restore commercial fishing within three of America’s marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean, rolling back protections for areas that are considered pristine ocean ecosystems.

The White House said the move, reported first by USA TODAY ahead of Trump’s action, is aimed at boosting the U.S. fishing industry and lowering seafood prices for consumers.

At an Oval Office ceremony attended by fishermen, Trump signed a proclamation restoring federally managed commercial fishing access to portions of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (near Hawaii); the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument (off the coast of Guam); and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument (in American Samoa).

In all, the proclamation expands commercial fishing to about half a million square miles in the Pacific.

Read the full article at USA TODAY

Hawaiʻi’s endangered false killer whales show signs of nutritional stress

June 5, 2026 — Some of Hawaiʻi’s endangered false killer whales are rapidly losing weight, a warning sign that warming oceans and limited prey may be pushing one of the nation’s smallest whale populations closer to extinction, according to research published in Endangered Species Research by a team including scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

The findings provide the first quantitative evidence that nutritional stress and competition with fisheries may be accelerating the decline of this iconic population, which now numbers fewer than 140 individuals.

The research—a partnership between the Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF), Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) at UH Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and Okinawa Churashima Foundation—utilized high-resolution drone photogrammetry to track 68 whales (roughly half the remaining population) between 2019 and 2025.

Read the full article at the University of Hawaii News

‘Really challenging’: Fuel surge hits Hawaii drivers, fishing industry

April 3, 2026 — Oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel since the U.S. and Israel began the war with Iran, with tankers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.

Those disruptions mean Hawaii drivers are paying a lot more to fill up their tanks. AAA says a regular unleaded gallon of gas averages about $5.50, up more than a dollar from last month — a 20% jump.

Some drivers say they’re riding out the price surge as they’ve done in past years.

“We continue to do what we do, shop, shop, shop,” said Honolulu resident Michael MacDonald. “I’m sure we’re going to see it come down. Eventually, quickly, I hope.”

Liza Blum of Waipio hopes to save money by not driving as much. It now costs $10 more to fill up her SUV, which lasts about 10 days.

“It’s very hard on our pocket,” she said. “I don’t go out anymore. I just go home and work and groceries and like that.”

Read the full article at Hawaii News Now