April 23, 2025 - Taotasi Archie Soliai and Taulapapa Will Sword talk with 93KHJ's John Raynar about their recent meeting with President Trump in the White House's Oval Office in which the President signed an Executive Order reopening of commercial fishing in parts the Pacific. Proclamation Reopening Commercial Fishing in Pacific Heritage Monument (formerly Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) Overview of the Proclamation The PRIMNM was created in 2009 by President Bush; expanded by Obama in 2014. Biden administration planned to close of the entire area and create a sanctuary overlay over the monument but they ran out of time. In 2024, the monument was renamed Pacific Islands Heritage Monument (PIH) On April 17, 2025, President Trump signed a Proclamation to reopen commercial fishing in the PIH), reversing previous restrictions put in place. This current decision restores access for U.S. vessels to fish from 50-200nm in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding Howland, Baker, Jarvis Islands, and Johnston and Wake Atolls—areas within U.S. jurisdiction but previously off-limits to commercial fishing. Economic Relevance for American Samoa and Hawai‘i Commercial fishing is a lifeline for the economies of both American Samoa and Hawai‘i. These communities rely heavily on longline and purse seine fisheries for jobs, food security, and export revenues. 70% of the tuna processed in the local cannery is supplied by US flagged purse seiners. This fleet is a critical component of the local tuna industry. By reopening these waters, U.S. vessels, many of which are based in or land their catch in American Samoa and Hawai‘i, will have expanded access to fishery resources in the U.S. EEZ. This helps level the playing field against foreign fleets that often fish just outside the U.S. EEZ and are not subject to the same conservation and labor standards. Although these waters are not within the American Samoa EEZ, they are part of the broader U.S. EEZ, and U.S.-flagged vessels—especially purse seiners—rely on these areas to maintain viable operations. Allowing access strengthens the U.S. tuna industry, ensuring fish caught in U.S. waters are delivered to U.S. shores, including to our cannery in Pago Pago, which remains the largest tuna processor in the U.S Importance of Fishing in the U.S. EEZ S. fishermen operate under the strictest environmental and labor regulations in the world. Allowing them to fish within our own US EEZ reinforces responsible stewardship and supports American jobs. Reopening these federal…
