President Donald Trump issued an executive order opening the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument (PIHMNM) to commercial fishing on April 17. PIHMNM comprises approximately 495,189 square miles in the central Pacific Ocean and is one of the most well-preserved tropical marine ecosystems in the world. Allowing commercial fishing in marine monuments sacrifices critical habitats for short-term profits and puts global marine biodiversity at risk.
Trump’s efforts to open these protected areas to commercial fishing threatens the natural food chains and ecology of the Pacific Remote Islands’ marine life. Instead of allowing economic interests to compromise these critical habitats, we must focus on preserving marine national monuments as sanctuaries for future generations.
Marine ecosystems are critical to life on Earth, constituting over 90% of its habitable environment. According to the United Nations, Earth’s oceans contain around 250,000 known species, with many more yet to be discovered. These ecosystems regulate the planet’s climate, produce over half of the world’s oxygen and absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Protecting marine ecosystems is essential not only for the survival of ocean life but for the well-being of humanity as a whole.
Marine biodiversity is not just about species variety — it is vital to the ocean’s ability to produce energy and sustain food chains through primary productivity. This process is identified by the rate at which primary producers create new organic matter or biomass through photosynthesis. One of the most common primary producers of the marine ecosystem is phytoplankton, which contributes to approximately half of the world’s primary productivity and serves as a staple food supply for larger organisms.
Without these small organisms, large fishing industries are more likely to catch fewer lobsters and scallops, among other species. According to WBUR — Boston’s NPR — when commercial fisheries cause small organism loss, larger and already imperiled species like North Atlantic right whales and Atlantic puffins will further decrease in population. We cannot afford to ignore the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, as their preservation is essential to the Earth’s environmental sustainability.
Given the crucial role marine ecosystems play in regulating the planet’s climate and supporting biodiversity, it is essential to prioritize their protection through marine national monuments. These national monuments would have a range of protection from partially protected to fully protected. According to American Progress, partially protected areas would allow for some extractive activities like recreational fishing, unlike fully protected areas, which wouldn’t allow for any extractive activities like oil drilling or commercial fishing.
Opening protected areas like the PIHMNM to commercial fishing will result in habitat loss and reduced biodiversity. Commercial fishing disrupts specialized marine food webs, damages coral reefs and drives vulnerable species closer to extinction. Once these ecosystems are disturbed, they may take decades — or longer — to recover, if they recover at all.
Even small disruptions can have widespread effects, throwing entire ecosystems out of balance. The disappearance of top apex predators such as whales, sharks and dolphins weakens the ecosystem’s structure and disrupts its natural processes. The stability of the marine food web protects the delicate balance of both marine life and human communities.
While protecting marine environments is essential, we must also consider the significant role commercial fishing plays in sustaining global food supplies and economies. Commercial fishing provides vital employment opportunities, such as retailers and wholesalers, dealers, processors and harvesters in coastal communities where alternative sources of income may be limited. Since fish make up about 17% of the world’s global meat supply, consistent and affordable fish supplies can help ensure food security.
Societies in the region of the Pacific Islands — such as Guam, Hawai’i, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands — rely on fish as a central part of their daily meals and cultural practices. Although communities in the Pacific Islands rely on fish for their dietary needs, the establishment of protected marine zones can lead to changes in fishing practices and rising costs, putting pressure on local fisheries and causing more overfishing in unprotected areas. Designating national monuments in species-rich areas could impact employment and exacerbate financial hardships for those who rely on the ocean for their income or survival.
The future of our oceans is at a turning point. Once these ecosystems are damaged, their recovery is uncertain, making it harder to restore the balance necessary for future sustainable fishing. By establishing and maintaining marine national monuments, we can preserve some of the most vital ecosystems on Earth. If we open these protected areas to commercial fishing, we jeopardize not only the habitats within them, but also the future of countless species.
The executive branch should focus on drafting a proposal to establish a new marine monument for the Gulf of Mexico — renamed the Gulf of America as of January 20th — as it is currently an unprotected region that experiences disturbances within its marine ecosystem from inhumane actions like overfishing. It was only after Trump’s executive order that the PIHMNM began to resemble the Gulf of America in terms of overfishing, due to its rich marine biodiversity. Species will never be able to thrive if overfishing becomes a driving force in their respective regions. By establishing a new marine monument, endangered species and species on the verge of extinction can flourish in their habitats, balancing their marine food chains.
While the protection of marine life is crucial, we must also acknowledge the challenges that come with balancing conservation and economic needs. However, the executive branch must recognize that long-term sustainability cannot be sacrificed for short-term profit, and it is our responsibility to create solutions that allow both marine ecosystems and human communities to flourish.
Preserving marine national monuments is an investment in the planet’s future, providing greater benefits to both the ecosystems and the species that inhabit them. Healthy oceans play a crucial role in regulating climate, sustaining biodiversity and supporting global economies. By prioritizing conservation over exploitation, we ensure that our oceans can continue to provide for both nature and humanity — now and in the future. The time to protect these areas is now, before their true value is lost.
Maya Berger is an Opinion Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at bergerm2@uci.edu.
Edited by Isabella Ehring.