Trump Reopens Three Pacific Marine Monuments to Commercial Fishing, Reversing Prior Closures

President Trump signed a proclamation on June 11 reopening Papahānaumokuākea and two other Pacific marine monuments to commercial fishing. The action restores access to nearly 500,000 square miles of ocean that had been closed to American vessels. U.S. Exclusive economic zones in the central and western Pacific.

It directly affects fleets targeting tuna, swordfish, and bottomfish. Vessels may now enter the previously closed blocks without obtaining new permits or waiting for regulatory review.

The proclamation lifts the operative restrictions immediately upon signature. Federal fishery management councils must now update harvest specifications and observer coverage plans. The National Marine Fisheries Service will recalculate annual catch limits and adjust enforcement patrol schedules for the reopened zones.

Seafood processors and port facilities in Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam gain access to additional domestic supply before the next quota cycle begins. The action reverses spatial closures first imposed in 2009 and expanded in 2016 under authorities delegated by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Congress has not enacted legislation altering those prior area designations.