April 17, 2025 — The following was released by the White House:
UNLEASHING OPPORTUNITY IN THE PACIFIC: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation to unleash American commercial fishing in the Pacific Ocean—a key component of the America First Fishing Policy.
- The proclamation opens the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) to commercial fishing, boosting the economy of American Samoa.
- It allows U.S.-flagged vessels to fish commercially within 50 to 200 nautical miles of the PRIMNM’s boundaries.
EMPOWERING AMERICAN COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN: President Trump believes that removing unnecessary restrictions on American fishermen will strengthen the U.S. economy, support local communities, and restore fairness to an industry disadvantaged by overregulation and foreign competition.
- The PRIMNM was first established by President Bush in 2009 and then expanded by President Obama, closing off over 400,000 square miles of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific.
- The ban on commercial fishing within the PRIMNM did little to guard fish populations against overfishing, as tuna and other pelagic species are migratory in nature and do not permanently reside within the PRIMNM.
- As a result of the prohibitions on commercial fishing, American fishing fleets have lost access to nearly half of the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific Islands.
- This has driven American fishermen to fish further offshore in international waters to compete against poorly regulated and highly subsidized foreign fleets, most notably from China.
- By supporting honest American fishermen, we combat the rampant illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing by foreign fleets.
- This disadvantages United States commercial fishermen and is detrimental for United States territories like American Samoa, whose private sector economy is dependent on the fishing industry.
- American Samoa is home to the only Buy American-compliant tuna processing facility for U.S. military rations and school lunch programs.
- This cannery is the largest employer on the island, providing about 5,000 jobs. In fact, the cannery accounts for 99.5% of American Samoa’s exports and 84% of the private employment in the territory.
ADVANCING U.S. ECONOMIC INTERESTS: President Trump’s actions to revitalize commercial fishing are part of his broader strategy to unleash the full potential of the American economy by prioritizing deregulation and cutting red tape.
- President Trump launched a 10-to-1 deregulation initiative, ensuring every new Federal rule is justified by clear benefits and accompanied by much larger deregulatory measures.
- President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to cut red tape, enhance private sector investments, advance innovation, and streamline the permitting process across all forms of American energy.
- President Trump established the “Department of Government Efficiency” to examine how to streamline the operations of the Federal Government, eliminate unnecessary programs and wasteful spending, and reduce bureaucratic inefficiency.
- President Trump has already reduced unnecessarily large governmental entities and terminated numerous harmful Biden expansions of governmental authority.