Judge Halts Trump’s Reckless Rollback Allowing Commercial Fishing in Protected Pacific Waters

In a pivotal ruling that underscores the importance of safeguarding America’s natural treasures, a U.S. District Judge in Hawaii has blocked commercial fishing activities authorized under President Trump’s controversial executive order loosening protections for the remote Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.This monument spans roughly 500,000 square miles of ocean, making it one of the largest marine protected areas globally—home to endangered turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds whose survival depends on these preserved waters. The judge’s decision demands an immediate cessation of commercial longline fishing—an industrial method notorious for its indiscriminate catch—that recently resumed between 50 and 200 nautical miles...