Saving Seafood

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

Trump opens additional areas of Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing

June 12, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation opening roughly 500,000 square miles of Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing, continuing his push to roll back protections unilaterally enacted by his predecessors.

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

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump signs proclamation to open marine monuments to commercial fishing

June 12, 2026 — President Trump signed an executive proclamation Thursday aimed at restoring commercial fishing access in protected areas of the Pacific.

The nearly half a million square miles of ocean include zones of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The expanded fishing grounds 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

Trump said the action removes unnecessary restrictions on American fishermen and U.S.-flagged fishing vessels, enhancing domestic seafood production and lowering prices.

“This will support millions of dollars in annual harvest,” Trump said during the signing in the Oval Office. “It will protect small local fisheries and coastal communities that depend on their livelihoods.”

“They will increase domestic seafood production to help lower costs for American communities — and you’re talking about millions, tens of millions of dollars of income,” he said.

Eric Kingma, the executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, was among those present for the signing.

Read the full article at Hawaii News Now

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

WPFMC recommends reopening marine monuments to commercial fishing

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.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Fishing council to ask Trump to lift fishing ban in Papahanaumokuakea

June 20, 2025 — The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council which sets fishing policies will ask President Trump to allow commercial fishing in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. It’s the largest marine protected area in the world.

“That ask is to open waters of Papahānaumokuākea to commercial fishing. We may also include recreational fishing and subsistence fishing,” said Kitty Simonds, Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, executive director.

Simonds was in the Oval Office when President Trump signed the executive order in April to allow commercial fishing in a different preserve, the Pacific Island Heritage Marine National Monument around Johnston Atoll in the Central Pacific.

“It was very exciting for us,” said Simonds.

Read the full article at Hawaii News Now

Marine debris removal season at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument ends with record-breaking results

October 29, 2024 — This year, the conclusion of the marine debris removal season in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument resulted in the largest amount of marine debris removed from the site in a mission season since NOAA began removal efforts in 1996.

Through a partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other partners, a team of 16 from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project removed 298,180 pounds of marine debris from the monument during three missions from April to October 2024. The removed marine debris includes 191,860 pounds of derelict fishing nets, 4,600 pounds of abandoned and derelict vessels and 101,720 pounds of plastic and other debris. The team also released four Hawaiian green sea turtles entangled in derelict fishing nets.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage site, encompasses a remote group of islands, reefs and atolls in the northwestern sector of the Hawaiian Islands. The site is home to thousands of species of fish and wildlife, — some that are only found in the Hawaiian Islands — including threatened and endangered species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, Hawaiian green sea turtle and Laysan albatross. Papahānaumokuākea is a sacred Native Hawaiian landscape and is home to numerous important archaeological sites. Marine debris removal is of critical importance to both the natural and cultural components of the monument.

Read the full article at Maui Now

HAWAII: Removing Ghost Nets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

September 23, 2024 — The Hawaiian archipelago extends far beyond its eight main islands to include 137 islands, atolls and shoals stretching 1,591 miles, from Kure Atoll in the northwest to Hawai’i Island in the southeast.

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a vast and remote area that encompasses the low-lying Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, atolls and surrounding sea.

“Most people don’t really know it’s even a part of Hawai‘i, let alone 75% of the length of the Hawaiian archipelago,” says Kevin O’Brien, founder and president of the nonprofit Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project.

Read the full article at Hawaii Business

Efforts to take Hawaiian monk seals off the endangered species list

February 24, 2024 — Throughout 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted multiple Hawaiian monk seal research camps in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. NOAA researchers said the total population size is between 1,512 and 1,743. After decades of declining numbers, the number of monk seals has increased on average by 2 percent per year since 2013.

During NOAA’s last assessment and recovery camp, they documented 170 Hawaiian monk seal pups born last year at the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

“A lot of the important work that we do is being out at the field sites during the reproductive season, so that we have a chance to catch situations that may come up that would cause a seal to not survive,” said Thea Johanos, the supervisory research biologist for NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program.

Read the full article at KITV