Ranking Member Huffman Statement on Trump’s Order to Destroy Fragile Marine Monuments

Ranking Member Huffman Statement on Trump's Order to Destroy Fragile Marine Monuments

Washington,D.C - Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statement on Trump's Executive Proclamation to open marine monuments in the Pacific Ocean to fishing operations:

"Again and again, Trump has broken the law to exploit our oceans, whether it's to drill, kill offshore wind, or use American fishermen as pawns in his political games. This is another one of his grifts. The tuna fleet already catches its quota every year; this announcement doesn't provide a single additional fish. Instead, it puts the nation's most pristine, most sensitive ocean habitats at risk, disrupting marine food webs for the birds, corals, whales, sharks, and sea turtles that depend on these healthy habitats.

"These monuments took decades to build, and they protect life found nowhere else on Earth. Past Presidents from both parties permanently protected these areas because of their importance to seabirds, corals, and unique marine life, as well as the deep cultural connection Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have to these areas. Coastal families and Indigenous communities depend on these waters for food and their future.

"This won't help a single fisherman. All this does is deliver on Project 2025 promises to strip protections for these special places. These waters mean too much for us to let this happen. We're going to fight for them."

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