Marianas Trench monument eyed for commercial fishing, along with other Pacific marine sanctuaries
- Admin
- 22 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Council is set to decide next month whether or not to recommend the lifting of the fishing ban in the Marianas Trench National Monument and other federally protected marine areas in the Pacific, which President Donald Trump sought to open for commercial harvests.
The council's pending action is in line with Trump’s April 17 twin proclamations,
“Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness” and “Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific.”
The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument encompasses approximately 95,216 sqmi of the submerged lands between the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam’s territorial waters.
The surrounding areas are also targeted for the Trump administration’s deep-sea mining proposal.
Established by a presidential proclamation in January 2009, the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument is a refuge for seabirds, sea turtles, unique coral reefs and a great diversity of seamount and hydrothermal vent life.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes the Marianas Trench as "geologically very complex, sporting a subduction zone, back arc basins, an active simmering island, and submarine volcanoes."
The crescent-shaped channel, nicknamed the "Grand Canyon" of the ocean, includes the deepest known areas on Earth, the Challenger Deep, located at a depth of about 36,000 ft— about 7,000 feet deeper than Mount Everest is tall.
The sanctuary is jointly managed by the CNMI government, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of War and the Department of State.
Besides the Marianas Trench monument, Trump’s directive also seeks to restore commercial fishing in the Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll.
“The order called for recommendations to promote sustainable U.S. seafood production while maintaining conservation objectives,” the council said as it prepares the initial action for the three marine sanctuaries.
The council said the restoration of commercial fishing would require removing current commercial fishing prohibitions in the area through an amendment to its Fishery Ecosystem Plans.
At the 205th meeting, to be held virtually on Dec. 16 and 17, the council will "determine if any risk is posed to the monument from commercial fishing, identify any potential conservation and management measures needed to minimize or eliminate the risk."
The “Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific” proclamation applies to the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, which is awaiting the council’s final action.
Previously known as Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, the Heritage covers approximately 495,189 sqmi of open ocean and includes seven islands and atolls: Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands; Johnston, Wake, Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef.
Commercial fishing is currently prohibited in 50-200 nautical miles around Wake, Johnston and Jarvis based on a presidential proclamation issued on Sept. 25, 2014.
"Prior to its prohibition, commercial fishing was allowed by permit for bottomfish, precious corals, crustaceans, pelagic species and coral reef fisheries,” the council said.
The existing regulations set the council’s fishery ecosystem plans continue to apply in Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef and Howland and Baker Islands.
At the upcoming meeting, the council will determine whether to keep and lift the existing prohibitions on commercial fishing within the 50-200 nm area of Wake, Jarvis and Johnston.
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