March 27, 2026 — The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) took final action to reopen commercial fishing in multiple marine monuments, including the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
“This is not about removing monument protections; it’s about restoring sustainable fishing in limited areas under fishery regulations the Council has developed over decades,” WPFMC Executive Director Kitty Simonds said in a release. “Those regulations were built to balance access and conservation, and that remains the Council’s guiding principle under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.”