Tell NOAA: Keep Industrial Fishing Out of Marine Monuments

Marine monuments are among the strongest tools we have to protect ocean life. Created under the Antiquities Act of 1906, these areas safeguard coral reefs, deep-sea habitats, and migratory routes for whales, turtles, and seabirds. They are sanctuaries — vital spaces where marine life can recover and thrive, and where Indigenous Pacific Islander communities continue deep cultural connections to the sea. Opening these areas to industrial fishing would be like opening national parks to logging or mining — unthinkable and devastating

But that is what the Trump Administration is considering. On April 17, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order, “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” that threatens decades of ocean conservation by ordering a review of all existing marine national monuments — with the goal of opening them to commercial fishing. This reckless move would erase bipartisan progress and put some of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems and the animals who live there in grave danger.

Commercial fishing gear such as longlines, trawls, and gillnets destroy seafloor habitats, kill countless non-target species, and disrupt entire ecosystems. From whales and dolphins to sea turtles and sharks, marine wildlife face deadly entanglement and bycatch that can cause immense suffering and population decline. In just one year, U.S. fisheries discarded millions of pounds of marine life as waste — a tragedy that should never be repeated.

Weakening protections at a time when climate change and ocean acidification are already stressing marine ecosystems is shortsighted and irresponsible. NOAA must reject any plan that opens marine monuments to exploitation.

Instead, we need a future that prioritizes sustainability, resilience, and equity — strengthening bycatch limits, reducing destructive fishing practices, and preserving the ocean treasures that belong to all of us.

Add your name to demand that NOAA keep commercial fishing OUT of our marine monuments and protect these irreplaceable ocean sanctuaries.