President Reopens Pacific Waters for Commercial Fishing
Published Date: 6/17/2026
Presidential Document
Summary
The President is reopening huge areas of Pacific waters for American commercial fishing, boosting jobs and local economies while keeping fish and ocean life safe. This change affects fishing communities and businesses that follow smart, science-based rules already in place. The new access starts right away, making it a big win for hardworking fishers and the environment alike.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Large Pacific Areas Reopened
This proclamation (signed June 11, 2026) removes certain monument-based prohibitions and restores access to hundreds of thousands of square miles of Pacific waters for commercial fishing. The reopened areas include the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument; the Mau Zone, Ho'omalu Zone, and areas seaward of 50 nautical miles within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; and waters between 12 and 50 nautical miles surrounding Rose Atoll.
Only U.S.-Flagged Vessels May Fish
The proclamation states that only United States‑flagged vessels shall be allowed to fish commercially within the boundaries of the affected monuments. The proclamation allows that permits may be issued to foreign‑flagged vessels only to transport fish harvested by United States fishermen.
Existing Fisheries Laws Still Apply
Commercial fishing in areas that were previously prohibited remains subject to all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including the Magnuson‑Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and applicable fishery management plans. Fishers must comply with those existing conservation and management rules when operating in the reopened areas.
Some Nearshore Areas Stay Closed
The proclamation does not change existing restrictions that apply within 50 nautical miles of the center geographical positions of certain islands and reefs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, nor restrictions within 12 nautical miles of Rose Atoll. Those nearshore limits remain in place despite the broader reopening.
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