STATEMENT: Trump Opens Three Marine National Monuments to U.S. Commercial Fishing Interests

Washington, D.C. — Today, President Donald Trump signed proclamations rolling back protections and expanding industrial fishing access to portions of three marine national monuments in the Pacific Ocean: Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument near Hawaii; the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument near the Mariana Islands, and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument near American Samoa. This drastic move grants commercial fishing vessels access to operate in areas previously limited to Indigenous and scientific fishing only. Trump has now removed protections from all five U.S. marine national monuments, following actions earlier this year.

In response, Angelo Villagomez, a senior fellow for conservation policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:

These rollbacks are another move by the Trump administration to sell out America’s natural resources for industry profit. In addition to opening up protected areas in the Pacific to industrial fishing fleets, the administration would also allow seabed mineral exploration across the waters of the U.S. territories and Alaska—despite overwhelming opposition from local governments, scientists, and Indigenous communities. As a native of the Marianas, this action feels like a direct attack on cultural heritage and the fragile ecosystems of a treasured resource that was previously reserved for the Chamorro and Refaluwasch people.

Related resources: 

• “Why Alaska and U.S. Territories Get Damage, Not Dollars, From Deep-Sea Mining” by Angelo Villagomez and Mark Haggerty
• “Trump’s ‘God Squad’ Is Killing Whales Under the Guise of National Security” by Angelo Villagomez and Margaret Cooney
• “The Trump Administration’s Expansive Push to Sell Out Public Lands to the Highest Bidder” by Drew McConville, Mariel Lutz, and Jenny Rowland-Shea

For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].