The Trump administration has opened waters around remote Pacific islands to commercial fishing, ending protections for some of the nation’s largest conservation areas, administration officials said.
Those islands, though small, host a wide array of marine life and have been described by conservationists as epicenters of biodiversity, conservation groups said.
Environmental groups warned the decision will spark a battle over some of the country’s most pristine ocean ecosystems, saying the move could harm fragile habitats and species.
The administration framed the action as a shift in management of U.S. waters around the islands, while critics called for reviews and possible legal challenges, according to conservation groups and environmental advocates.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
