Trump’s "America First" fishing policy is a recipe for plunder

Trump Administration Issues Proclamation Permitting Commercial Fishing in Portions of Three Pacific Marine National Monuments

A sign outside the White House, May 16, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

When Kekuewa Kikiloi boarded a research vessel to visit the northwestern Hawaiian islands in 2002, he had not previously traveled to the uninhabited islands and atolls west of the main Hawaiian chain. Kikiloi, who grew up on O‘ahu, participated in a monthlong research expedition that included scientists and Native Hawaiians. He later described the environment as largely intact, with observations of birds, monk seals, and fish populations.

The expedition contributed to advocacy efforts that supported the designation of Papahānaumokuākea as both a marine sanctuary and a marine national monument. Kikiloi has expressed concern that recent federal actions may affect those designations.

On June 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive proclamation authorizing commercial fishing in designated zones within three marine national monuments: the Mau and Ho‘omalu Zones of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawai‘i, the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument in American Samoa, and the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The affected areas total approximately 500,000 square miles and contain documented populations of marine species.

The proclamation follows earlier actions by the same administration. In April 2025, a proclamation opened portions of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. An executive order directed increased domestic seafood production, and several fishery quotas were raised. In February 2025, another proclamation removed commercial fishing prohibitions from two national monuments in the Atlantic Ocean.

The White House described the June action as part of an “America First Fishing Policy.” During the signing, President Trump stated that the change would create new business opportunities for U.S. fishing operations and could affect seafood prices. Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the CNMI attended the event and stated that implementation should involve coordination with local officials, with potential benefits for jobs, port activity, and food security in the Commonwealth.

Representatives of commercial fishing organizations expressed support. Kitty Simonds, executive director of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, stated that fish caught under U.S. regulations should be available to consumers. Eric Kingma of the Hawai‘i Longliners Association indicated that federal review of the areas should incorporate scientific, economic, and cultural data and support fleet viability. Kingma has previously noted that conservation measures and commercial fishing can operate together when fish stocks allow access.

Legal questions have accompanied these changes. After the April 2025 proclamation concerning the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, NOAA Fisheries notified permit holders that commercial fishing was permitted. The access remained in place for nearly four months until a federal district court, in litigation brought by Earthjustice, determined that the action did not follow required rulemaking procedures. Following the February 2025 Atlantic proclamation, NOAA Fisheries initiated formal rulemaking to revise the relevant regulations.

A separate legal issue concerns presidential authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906. The statute authorizes the president to designate federal lands and waters with scientific, historic, or cultural resources as national monuments. Congress holds authority over federal lands and waters, and no federal court has issued a final ruling on whether a president may modify or reduce protections established by prior monument designations. Several cases addressing this question remain pending. Earthjustice has indicated it will file additional challenges.

Prior administrations have also used proclamations to adjust monument boundaries. Presidents have both expanded and reduced monument areas through executive action, though the scope of that authority continues to be litigated.

Indigenous fishing rights have been discussed in connection with the monuments. Some traditional and subsistence fishers retained limited access under earlier monument rules. Steven Mana‘oakamai Johnson, an assistant professor at Cornell University, stated that larger commercial operations are more likely to benefit from expanded access than smaller-scale Indigenous fishers. In American Samoa, Rep. Uifa’atali Amata previously criticized the establishment of certain monuments for limiting Indigenous fishing rights without local consultation. Her office has since stated that Rose Atoll should remain closed to commercial fishing to respect cultural practices in the Manu‘a Islands.

Camilo Mora, a researcher at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, has examined relationships among biodiversity, fisheries, and food systems. He noted that most U.S. waters remain open to commercial fishing and that areas with full no-extractive-use protections constitute roughly 3 percent of federal waters. Mora stated that short-term gains from expanded access could be followed by longer-term changes in ecosystem structure, including potential effects on predator-prey relationships and overall fish populations. He has described the cumulative impact of multiple fishing areas on ocean productivity.

Kikiloi has linked the Papahānaumokuākea region to Native Hawaiian cultural accounts that identify it as a place of origin and return. He stated that continued environmental conditions in the area support ongoing cultural connections.

The affected monuments contain records of multiple species, including the Hawaiian monk seal, humpback whales, green sea turtles, and various corals. Management of the zones will now involve coordination among federal agencies, regional fishery management councils, and local governments to implement the proclamation’s provisions.