Trump opens up Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing

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President Trump on Thursday opened up previously protected areas of the Pacific Ocean to commercial fishing.

Trump signed a proclamation opening up commercial fishing at three marine national monuments.

“We’re officially reopening nearly half a million square miles — wow — of water around [the] northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa,” he said, adding that the move would also lower seafood costs.

He said that his administration’s actions to reduce restrictions on the fishing industry “have unlocked billions of dollars in economic value and protected thousands and thousands of jobs from great people that voted for Trump.”

The area he’s opening up includes parts of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Rose Atoll Marine National Monument.

They were designated as marine national monuments by former President George W. Bush. Former President Obama later expanded the Papahānaumokuākea monument.

It’s not the Trump administration’s only move to reduce regulations on commercial fishing. Trump has also moved to open up commercial fishing in other areas, including at the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in the Atlantic Ocean.

Mallory Wilson contributed. Updated at 5:38 p.m. EDT

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Barack Obama

Commercial fishing

Donald Trump

George W. Bush

Joe Biden

Pacific Ocean

President Trump

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