Trump EOs aim to boost US fishing by easing rules, opening marine reserves

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting restrictions on commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. Meanwhile, a second order aims to ease regulations on the fishing and aquaculture industries, as well as review other national marine monuments for potential expanded access.
• The Trump administration argues that the move will boost U.S. seafood production, support the economies of the country’s Pacific territories and help American fishing fleets compete with heavily subsidized foreign operations.
• Environmental groups condemned the decision, indicating that they will seek legal action and warning that it threatens endangered species and marine ecosystems.

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For the first time in over a decade, commercial fishing will be permitted in one of the world’s largest marine reserves. This comes as a result of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Thursday, April 17.

What does Trump’s executive order entail?

This federal directive lifts restrictions on the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. Located approximately 750 miles west of Hawaii, this protected area spans nearly 500,000 square miles and is home to a diverse variety of wildlife, including endangered species such as sea turtles and whales.

According to the Trump administration, the decision to allow commercial fishing in the region was aimed at bolstering U.S. seafood production and supporting the economies of American Pacific territories.

“As a result of the prohibitions on commercial fishing, American fishing fleets have lost access to nearly half of the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Islands,” Trump’s order reads. “This has driven American fishermen to fish further offshore in international waters to compete against poorly regulated and highly subsidized foreign fleets, most notably from China.”

How else is Trump attempting to bolster fishing?

A second executive order signed by the president directed federal agencies to ease regulations on the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries, as well as review other national marine monuments for possible changes to access. The Commerce Department has been tasked with implementing the regulations rollback, while the Interior Department will handle the review of national marine monuments.

“The United States should be the world’s dominant seafood leader,” this executive order reads. “But in addition to overregulation, unfair trade practices have put our seafood markets at a competitive disadvantage. Nearly 90 percent of seafood on our shelves is now imported, and the seafood trade deficit stands at over $20 billion. The erosion of American seafood competitiveness at the hands of unfair foreign trade practices must end.”

What are supporters of these executive orders saying?

The move was welcomed by American Samoa’s delegate to the House of Representatives, Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, who described it as “fantastic news for U.S. food security” and a restoration of economic opportunity for Pacific Islander communities reliant on fishing.

Meanwhile, federal officials stated that existing environmental protections, including the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act, would remain in place to safeguard the marine environment.

How are environmentalists responding to these orders?

Environmental organizations, however, voiced concern about the potential consequences of reopening the monument to industrial fishing. The Center for Biological Diversity criticized the decision, calling it “a gift to industrial fishing fleets and a slap in the face to science,” as other activist groups decried the administration’s rollback of fishing regulations.

“These executive orders don’t loosen red tape — they unravel the very safety net that protects our oceans, our economy and our seafood dinners,” said Beth Lowell, vice president of Oceana, a conservation group.

What happens next?

Earthjustice, an environmental advocacy organization, questioned the legality of the executive order and announced plans to challenge the action to preserve the marine reserve’s protections.

“This is yet another attempt by President Trump to undermine decades of work to protect and preserve public lands and waters, endangered species and cultural heritage in favor of commercial interests,” said David Henkin, an attorney in Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office. “This is one of the most pristine tropical marine environments in the world that already faces dire threats from climate change and ocean acidification. We will do everything in our power to protect the monument.”