Commercial fishing to be allowed within the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary?

The Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary extends out to 200 nautical miles

Following a Presidential Executive Order issued in April 2025, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council took action last month to allow fishing within the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary that surrounds the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.  The sanctuary is one of the world's largest marine conservation areas, declared in 2025.  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses on Kure Atoll, photograph from the Kure Atoll Conservancy

The atolls that form a chain within the marine sanctuary are breeding sites for the bulk of the global populations of Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses, as well as many other seabirds.  Both albatross species are categorised as Near Threatened.

“The recommended fishing areas to open are 3 to 200 nm [nautical miles] in Papahānaumokuākea for bottomfish and pelagic fisheries only.  In Papahānaumokuākea, the 0 to 3 nm closure for all commercial fisheries and longline fishing shoreward of 50 nm would remain prohibited.  Lifting commercial fishing prohibitions would allow fisheries to operate under existing permit, reporting, gear restriction, area closure, catch limit and protected species requirements.”

The Council’s decisioion will now be transmitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service for further consideration through the federal process in response to Executive Order 14276, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness”.

Read about the establishment of the marine sanctuary here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 07 April 2026