Profit vs. Protection: Opening Marine Protected Areas to Industrial Fishing
- Emma Applegate
- Jun 9
- 5 min read
By Emma Applegate
President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order opening the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, a formerly marine protected zone around 750 miles west of Hawai’i, to commercial fishing. This monument, established by President George W. Bush in 2009 (Proc. 8336) and expanded by President Barack Obama in 2014 (Proc. 9173), contains nearly 500,000 square miles of protected waters populated by many endangered species and coral atolls. President Trump claims he aims to make the United States the world’s “dominant seafood leader,” and his decision allowed industrial operations to commence in this area for the first time in over a decade. Additionally, President Trump issued a second order for the Commerce Department to loosen regulations on the fishing industry. He claims that federal overregulation has restricted the productivity of the American seafood industry through restrictive catch limits, delayed adoption of advancing technology, and more. While this order could encourage ethical sourcing and eliminate unsafe seafood imports, the integrity of the supply chain is devoted to enhancing economics, often without considering conservation and sustainability efforts. While this decision has economic benefits, it is also critical to consider the environmental implications of commercial fishing in this previously protected area and the repercussions it could have for marine biodiversity.
According to NOAA Fisheries, about 90% of the United States' seafood consumed is currently being imported, with much of the sourcing ranging from questionable to highly problematic. The United States is not only one of the largest importers of seafood in the world, but also one of the largest exporters. The total fish and seafood export value nearly reached $5 billion in 2024 alone. Not only does the fishing industry play a large role in economics, but it also generates approximately 1.5 million jobs and a nutritious source of protein for the American public. With the various prohibitions on commercial fishing, American fleets have lost access to nearly half of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Pacific Islands. What this means is that the United States is reducing the use of living and nonliving resources it has jurisdiction over within the guidelines of international law, which was adopted through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982. The restrictions have driven American fishermen further offshore and into international waters to compete against highly subsidized foreign fleets that can also be poorly regulated. However, it is important to note that with the benefits of exploring and exploiting the natural resources within an EEZ, there also comes the responsibility of conservation and management. The economy of American Samoa heavily relies on fishing, tuna in particular, and this executive order could improve food security within the United States. So, what is the real cost associated with the economic benefits of opening marine protected areas (MPAs) to commercial fishing?
MPAs have been specifically designed to conserve fragile marine ecosystems and biodiversity, but opening this area to commercial fishing would pose a serious threat to this goal. When MPAs are designed and managed well, they can significantly contribute to the reconciliation of the fishing industry and biodiversity conservation, and can even lead to a “spillover” effect, effectively benefiting neighboring areas. In response to President Trump’s decision, Maxx Phillips, Director and Staff Attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity in the Hawai’i and Pacific Islands, in a KHON2 interview argued, it’s hard to say what the purpose will be other than to make some people a lot richer at the expense of our environment.” In the same interview, she adds that Trump’s “gift to the industrial fishing fleets” is a “direct slap in the face to science, to the ocean, to the generations of Pacific Islanders who fought long and hard to protect these sacred waters.” Trump’s decision also creates an opening for these orders to multiply; the order states that the US Secretary of Commerce can recommend opening other existing marine national monuments to commercial fishing in the next 180 days. Hawai’i Senator Brian Schatz also shared his concern in a press release: “We should be protecting the Pacific’s unmatched ecology and biodiversity for future generations – this order does the opposite.”
While the executive order still requires the U.S. Commerce Secretary to come up with new rules to allow fishing, there are many things to consider. If commercial fishing occurs in these areas, what regulations will be in place to ensure that it is being done sustainably? Will fish populations and ecosystem health be monitored? Will there be balanced engagement with all of the stakeholders involved, such as fishermen, conservationists, and local communities, to ensure an equitable and sustainable outcome?
There is a way to delicately balance the economic gains without the deterioration of this previously protected ecosystem. The question remains: Will the new executive order genuinely support sustainable fishing practices in the United States while still providing economic benefits?
Citations
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