President Trump signed a proclamation on June 11, 2026 that would allow commercial fishing in the Mau and Ho‘omalu Zones of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. The move expands access to three pristine Pacific protected areas and has drawn immediate backlash from conservation groups.
Earthjustice deputy managing attorney David Henkin said opening the monuments to commercial harvest would be “disastrous for the environment” and offers no benefit to the fishing industry, noting that U.S. fisheries already meet tuna catch limits without encroaching on protected zones. The organization announced it will file a lawsuit, arguing that science‑based management of these habitats is essential for long‑term marine health and that the proclamation undermines existing environmental laws.
The action follows a pattern of similar attempts by the Trump administration, including a 2025 effort to reopen the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument and a recent push to alter the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monuments. A federal district court previously struck down a 2025 proclamation that would have resumed commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage area, suggesting the new challenge could face a comparable legal hurdle.
