Council Votes to Expand Commercial Fishing in Pacific Marine Monuments
At its 206th meeting March 24-26 at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council voted to expand commercial fishing in four Pacific marine national monuments, balancing conservation with local economic needs.
“This is not about removing monument protections – it’s about restoring sustainable fishing in limited areas under fishery regulations the Council has developed over decades,” said Council Executive Director Kitty Simonds. “Those regulations were built to balance access and conservation, and that remains the Council’s guiding principle under the Magnuson-Stevens...
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