A conservation group has condemned Donald Trump’s decision to allow commercial fishing in parts of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.

US President Trump signed an executive order on June 11 opening protected waters around Hawai’i, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas.

It totals nearly 1.3 million sq km of protected Pacific waters for commercial fishing.

Trump claims appropriately managed fishing will not put these areas at any risk.

In a statement, the Friends of the Mariana Trench said this threatened Pacific communities, cultural heritage, and local stewardship of the ocean.

It said the move undermined protections that were established to safeguard waters important to the Chamorro and Refaluwasch people.

“True conservation requires persistence. Since 2007, our advocacy for the Mariana Trench has been unyielding, and it will remain so,” the group said.

Standing in solidarity
“We stand in solidarity with Pacific communities whose cultural heritage is currently being eroded by the Trump administration-from the access granted to commercial vessels in sacred areas, to the leasing of our seabed for deep-sea mining and the threats of nuclear waste.”

The group said waters that were set aside to honour traditional fishing practices were now being “sacrificed for industrial gain”.

“While this is a significant setback, our fight for healthy oceans and the communities that depend on them is far from over.”

The statement was signed by board members Sheila Babauta, Franco Santos, Tina Sablan, Ignacio Cabrera, Angelo Villagomez, Romana Chong and Kina Rangamar.

Trump’s proclamation removes monument-based prohibitions on commercial fishing in the Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, as well as portions of marine monuments in Hawai’i and American Samoa.

The administration said existing federal fisheries laws and environmental protections provide sufficient safeguards for marine resources while allowing greater economic activity.

The proclamation argues that commercial fishing can be sustainably managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as well as other federal laws protecting endangered species, marine mammals, habitats, and ocean resources.

White House signing
The action came after CNMI’s delegate to the US Congress, Kimberlyn King-Hinds, attended the White House signing ceremony.

She said any implementation must involve local fishermen, the CNMI government, scientists, environmental stakeholders, and the wider community.

“The CNMI respects the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and the environmental importance of the waters around our islands,” King-Hinds said.

“At the same time, the people who live closest to these waters should have a meaningful voice in how they are managed.”

King-Hinds said the proclamation creates a path for American fishing activity under existing federal law while keeping science-based management and conservation requirements in place.

The proclamation limits commercial fishing within monument boundaries to US-flagged vessels, although permits may be issued for foreign-flagged vessels transporting fish harvested by American fishermen.