Fishing halted in Pacific protected area

A Hawaii judge blocks parts of a Trump order that opened a large Pacific protected area to commercial fishing, restoring protections while a legal challenge proceeds.

Fishing halted in vast Pacific nature area after judge blocks Trump order

HONOLULU The federal case shows a push and pull between conservation rules and executive actions. A judge in Hawaii halted commercial fishing in portions of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument after environmental groups challenged a Trump administration rollback. The monument spans about 500,000 square miles in the central Pacific, around Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island and Wake Island. Following the order, the National Marine Fisheries Service sent a letter allowing fishing within the monument; fishing resumed for a short period before the court stepped in. Earthjustice, representing Native Hawaiian plaintiffs, argued the change removed core protections without public notice or rulemaking. U.S. District Judge Micah W. J. Smith granted the motion, ruling the government forfeited that defense on the merits and dismissing other arguments about standing and jurisdiction. The ruling directs the government to undertake a formal process to decide what kind of fishing, and under what conditions, can occur in monument waters to avoid harming the area. Earthjustice says the decision preserves meaningful protections and public engagement. Government attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The decision underscores a persistent tension between rapid policy shifts and long term stewardship of public resources. It signals that courts may constrain executive attempts to roll back protections without a transparent rulemaking process. For communities relying on conservation as a cultural and subsistence anchor, the ruling reinforces that legal channels matter as much as political will. It also raises questions about how future administrations will handle expanding or redefining protected areas in fast changing political climates. The case could slow similar rollbacks and set a precedent for how environmental safeguards are governed in the remote Pacific.

Highlights

The sea will keep its watch while the legal process plays out.