The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) is developing an experimental fishing permit (EFP) for bottom fishing in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to gather information supporting sustainable fishing efforts in the region.
The move is the latest of the council’s efforts to enable commercial fishing in several Pacific national marine monuments and sanctuaries, as directed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Since taking office for a second term in January 2025, Trump has pushed to reopen several large swaths of ocean that were closed to commercial fishing activity; in April 2025, he issued a proclamation to allow commercial fishing within Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.
“As a result of the prohibitions on commercial fishing, American fishing fleets have lost access to nearly half of the United States’ exclusive economic zone in the Pacific Islands,” the proclamation said. “This has driven American fishermen to fish farther offshore in international waters to compete against poorly regulated and highly subsidized foreign fleets.”
In June 2025, WPRFMC called on Trump to also allow commercial fishing within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The 582,578-square-mile monument includes the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, and the marine portions were designated as the nation’s 18th marine sanctuary by U.S. President Joe Biden in his final days in office. Roughly a year after the WPRFMC request, Trump issued a proclamation, “Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific.” The proclamation restored commercial fishing access within several Pacific marine national monuments, including areas seaward of 50 nautical miles within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
“Restoring commercial fishing access to these vital areas reflects the continued commitment of this administration to American fisheries, which are built on the foundation of rigorous science, robust monitoring, strong enforcement, and the daily commitment of our dedicated fishermen,” NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said at the time. “This historic action will lead to more U.S.-caught fish on American tables.”
In March 2026, WPRFMC followed up Trump’s executive order by officially recommending commercial fishing in those marine monuments, and in July 2026 the Trump administration tasked the council with continuing to work on reopening monuments to commercial fishing.
“In the Western Pacific region, NOAA’s priorities are to enable commercial fishing, previously prohibited by punitive monument closures, and further consider additional management changes to improve access and flexibility, consistent with the Endangered Species Act,” NOAA Fisheries said in its announcement.
During the council’s September meeting, WPRFMC determined that an EFP was needed to gather information on bottomfishing within the monument, where commercial fishing has been banned since 2010.
“As the Council considers future changes to the NWHI bottomfish management regime, it recommended staff work with NMFS, Council advisors, and interested fishermen to develop an Experimental Fishing Permit (EFP) to collect fishery-dependent data to support sustainable management of bottomfish fisheries in the NWHI,” WPRFMC said in a release.
The council is currently accepting proposals for a contractor to develop the EFP. Proposals are due 10 October.
