Protected waters reopened
U.S. President Donald Trump has reopened parts of several Pacific marine sanctuaries to commercial fishing through a proclamation signed on June 11, 2026. The order covers the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, the Mau and Ho‘omalu zones of Papahānaumokuākea, and waters between 12 and 50 nautical miles around Rose Atoll. The White House says only U.S.-flagged vessels will fish there under existing federal rules, while some nearshore limits remain.
Fisheries support and conservation fears
The administration says the decision will support American fishermen, coastal communities and seafood competitiveness. It argues that laws on endangered species, marine mammals and fisheries management can protect sensitive habitats. Fishing groups welcome a larger role for regional councils. But environmental organizations warn that longlining and purse seining could increase bycatch and weaken years of ocean conservation in culturally important Pacific waters.
The issue is also legal. Conservation groups say a president cannot simply remove protections created under the Antiquities Act by earlier administrations. They point to earlier court action over the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, where commercial fishing was blocked after a challenge. Key points: the decision reopens remote fishing grounds, tests U.S. ocean policy, and places marine biodiversity, tuna fisheries and Indigenous Pacific heritage at the center of a new political battle.
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