Trump opens protected Pacific waters to commercial fishing

The president has now signed orders to eliminate commercial fishing bans in all five national marine monuments.

June 15, 2026

The Trump administration struck down prohibitions on commercial fishing Thursday across more than 500,000 square miles of marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean, as environmental groups vowed to challenge the action in federal court.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to open the Mariana Trench, Papahanaumokuakea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments to commercial fisherman, removing restrictions put in place under the George W. Bush and Obama administrations.

“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,” NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said in a statement.

Trump first indicated in April 2025 that he would seek to unwind more fishing prohibitions when he similarly opened 400,000 square miles of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial use.

With his moves on Thursday, Trump has formally sought to open all five of the nation's marine monuments to commercial fishing. He removed restrictions on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this year.

Environmental groups lambasted the move, arguing that rather than opening sensitive marine areas — which variously support a variety of endangered species, deep-sea volcanoes and seabird populations — for commercial use, the Trump administration should focus on the reduction of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to help keep American seafood industries competitive with foreign counterparts.

“These ocean waters are home to ancient corals, endangered sea turtles, majestic whales and so much more," said Brad Sewell, the Natural Resources Defense Council's managing director of oceans. "We cannot open special places like this to industrial fishing and expect them to prosper and thrive for future generations to enjoy."

Sewell also challenged Trump's authority to remove the fishing restrictions, arguing that the Antiquities Act of 1906 does not allow him to make those changes. Under the law, presidents may set aside existing federal lands or waters to protect places of cultural, scientific and historic interest.

“No president can strip a national monument of a core protection on his own," Sewell said. "We have beaten back this kind of overreach before, and we are confident the courts will not let it stand this time either.”

Environmentalists could challenge the order in court, said David Henkin, deputy managing attorney with Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office.

"Commercial fishing in our protected marine monuments would not only be disastrous for the environment, but also does nothing for the fishing industry,” Henkin said in a statement. "Safe havens allow marine life to maintain healthy populations and prevent corporate greed from stripping the ocean of life."

Earthjustice won a ruling in August 2025 that halted commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, when it sued on behalf of Kapa?a, the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i and the Center for Biological Diversity.

A judge in that case found that the Trump administration had violated the Administrative Procedure Act by forgoing public comments or hearings before NOAA Fisheries issued a bulletin lifting the commercial fishing ban.

Environmental groups also filed suit in May to halt fishing in the Atlantic Ocean monument.

California Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, similarly criticized Trump's actions.

“Again and again, Trump has broken the law to exploit our oceans, whether it’s to drill, kill offshore wind, or use American fishermen as pawns in his political games," Huffman said in a statement. "This is another one of his grifts."

He added: "This won’t help a single fisherman. All this does is deliver on Project 2025 promises to strip protections for these special places. These waters mean too much for us to let this happen. We’re going to fight for them."


By:  Jennifer Yachnin
Source: PoliticoPro