US renews push to open Pacific marine protected area to fishing

The U.S. government has published proposed rules to allow commercial fishing in an area more than double the size of California inside a Pacific marine reserve that encompasses a network of islands, atolls, seamounts and coral reef systems. The proposed rules, published Nov. 9 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), or NOAA Fisheries, would lift fishing restrictions around Johnston Atoll, Wake Island, and Jarvis Island in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument (PIH). Commercial fishing would be permitted between 50 and 200 nautical miles (93-185 kilometers) from these islands, while waters within 50 nmi would remain off-limits to protect species and habitats. The total affected area covers 1 million square kilometers (408,000 square miles). In its proposal, NOAA says the rules would support the “long-term sustainability of U.S. fisheries,” and align with previous directives from the Trump administration to increase fishing in the Pacific, including a presidential proclamation in April calling for the “unleashing” of commercial fishing in the PIH. At the same time, NOAA also says fishing in the PIH may only have a “minor” beneficial impact on fisheries operations and management. The proposed rules are open for public comment until Dec. 9. Activists have criticized the proposal and NOAA Fisheries’ characterization of the potential harm to cultural resources and protected species as “negligible.” “The ocean has always been a place of connection for Pacific peoples, and the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument has important historical and cultural ties,” William Aila, a Native Hawaiian fisherman and former chair of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, said in a statement. “These same waters provide threatened and endangered wildlife a rare refuge where they can feed, breed, and recover. Many Pacific Islander descendants have answered the call to protect this special area, and we are hopeful that their comments will allow us to protect this place for generations to come.” The PIH has 5,000-year-old coral reef systems, 165 known seamounts that serve as biodiversity hotspots, and hosts threatened species such as seabirds, sharks, rays, whales, and sea turtles, according to the Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition. This isn’t the first time the government has attempted to allow commercial fishing in the PIH. In April 2025, NOAA Fisheries issued a letter calling for the authorization of fishing in parts of the protected area. However, U.S. conservation groups represented by environmental law organization Earthjustice won a lawsuit to stop it from moving forward. Now, David Henkin, an attorney at Earthjustice, says the group is prepared to sue again. “We prevailed in court the last time this happened,” he said in a statement, “and we’ll head back to court again to defend the pristine waters of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.” Banner image: Coral at Jarvis Island in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. Image by USFWS/Jim Maragos via Flickr (CC BY 2.0). Credits Topics