Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific

Proclamation 11035 of June 11, 2026

Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the
Pacific

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Building on prior actions to strengthen American
seafood production and support working fishing
communities, this proclamation restores access to
hundreds of thousands of square miles of Pacific waters
for commercial fishing managed under existing Federal
law. I have determined that restoring access to
responsibly managed fishing grounds will promote
economic opportunity while ensuring continued
stewardship of our Nation's marine resources.

On June 15, 2006, pursuant to the Antiquities Act (54
U.S.C. 320301), President Bush issued Proclamation 8031
establishing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine
National Monument, later renamed the
Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument.
On August 26, 2016, President Obama issued Proclamation
9478 expanding that monument.

On January 6, 2009, pursuant to the Antiquities Act,
President Bush issued Proclamation 8335 establishing
the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and
Proclamation 8337 establishing the Rose Atoll Marine
National Monument.

These proclamations imposed restrictions on commercial
fishing within specified areas of the monuments. Prior
to the establishment of these monuments, the marine
resources identified in Proclamations 8031, 8335, 8337,
and 9478 were subject to comprehensive Federal
management and conservation authorities, including
regulations that managed commercial fishing.

After further consideration of the nature of the
objects identified in Proclamations 8031, 8335, 8337,
and 9478 and the protection of those objects already
provided by Federal law, I find that appropriately
managed commercial fishing under existing statutory
authorities will not put the historic and scientific
objects within these areas at risk.

The marine resources identified in Proclamations 8031,
8335, 8337, and 9478 are subject to comprehensive
Federal management and conservation authorities. For
example, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) (Magnuson-
Stevens) establishes regional fishery management
councils, supervised by the Secretary of Commerce in
coordination with the States and affected stakeholders,
that develop fishery management plans to regulate our
Nation's fisheries, using the best available science
and observing strict conservation and management
requirements. Magnuson-Stevens requires a similar
process of scientific fisheries management for highly
migratory species and provides that fishery management
plans may include, among other measures, management
measures to conserve target and non-target species and
habitats. The monuments at issue in this proclamation
fall within the oversight of the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council (Council), which has
developed several comprehensive Fishery Ecosystem Plans
that enable sustainable fishing while affording
protections tailored to the variety of sensitive
ecosystems and marine life which the Council oversees.
The Council regularly monitors its fisheries and adapts
its plans to afford ongoing protection responsive to
the most recent science and ocean conditions.

Additional protections are provided under the following
statutes, several of which are effectuated directly
through the applicable fishery management plans: the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the
Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.),
the Oil Pollution Act (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), the
Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), Title I of
the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (33
U.S.C. 1401 et seq.), the National Historic
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-712), and the
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (16
U.S.C. 668dd et seq.). These statutes provide
sufficient enforceable mechanisms to properly manage
the monument objects addressed in this proclamation.
For example, the Endangered Species Act generally
prohibits the taking of fish and wildlife species
listed as endangered, and also generally ensures that
Federal actions, including fisheries management, are
not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any
listed species. The Marine Mammal Protection Act
provides protections for marine mammals, and prohibits
their taking, subject to some exceptions.

Therefore, I find that certain monument-based
prohibitions on commercial fishing are not necessary at
this time for the proper care and management of the
monuments or the objects of historic or scientific
interest therein.

Proclamation 10918 previously modified the Pacific
Remote Islands Marine National Monument by providing,
among other things, that the Secretary of Commerce
shall not prohibit commercial fishing within specified
Monument and Monument Expansion areas. Proclamation
10918 is modified to clarify that the proclamation
itself removes monument-based prohibitions on
commercial fishing and agency rulemaking is intended to
amend or repeal inconsistent regulations.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by the authority vested in me
by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,
including section 320301 of title 54, United States
Code, hereby proclaim that Proclamations 8031, 8335,
8337, and 9478 are modified to remove certain monument-
based prohibitions on commercial fishing in: (a) the
Islands Unit of the Mariana Trench Marine National
Monument; (b) the Mau Zone and Ho'omalu Zone and areas
seaward of 50 nautical miles within the
Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument;
and (c) waters between 12 and 50 nautical miles
surrounding Rose Atoll, consistent with applicable
fishery management plans and implementing regulations.
Only United States flagged vessels shall be allowed to
fish commercially within the boundaries of these
monuments, except that permits may be issued to foreign
flagged vessels to transport fish harvested by United
States fishermen.

Nothing in this proclamation alters existing
restrictions applicable within 50 nautical miles of the
center geographical positions of certain islands and
reefs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or within 12
nautical miles of Rose Atoll. Such restrictions may be
modified pursuant to applicable statutory and
regulatory processes.

Commercial fishing conducted in areas of national
monuments where such fishing was prohibited under
previous proclamations shall remain subject to all
applicable statutory and regulatory requirements,
including under Magnuson-Stevens. The Secretary of
Commerce shall amend or repeal existing regulations
that are inconsistent with this proclamation's removal
of monument-based prohibitions on commercial fishing,
including those within Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea
Marine National Sanctuary regulations. I further direct
that the Secretary of Commerce shall assess whether
discretion to enforce regulations that currently
prohibit commercial fishing can be utilized in the
interim to advance the policy outlined in this
proclamation.

To the extent that any provision of Proclamations 8031,
8335, 8337, 9478, or 10918 is inconsistent with this
proclamation, the terms of this proclamation shall
govern.

If any provision of this proclamation is held to be
invalid, the remainder of this proclamation shall not
be affected thereby.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.