The sprawling Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument spans roughly 490,000 square miles of underwater ecosystems, reefs, and islands – a protected zone bigger than all American National Parks put together and covering an area that would nearly fit two Texas-sized states. Last Friday, a judge in Honolulu’s federal court blocked commercial fishing from continuing in this vast marine sanctuary, rejecting the Trump administration’s efforts to permit fishing activities in these protected waters. The ruling invalidated a National Marine Fisheries Service letter dated April 25 that had given fishing companies permission to operate in certain monument areas after President Trump … Continue reading Hawaii Court Blocks Commercial Fishing in 490,000 Square Mile Pacific Marine Monument