Pacific Remote Islands Marine Monument. Map courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday opening the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) to commercial fishing, marking a substantial change in U.S. fishing policy.
The proclamation specifically permits U.S.-flagged vessels to conduct commercial fishing operations within 50 to 200 nautical miles of the PRIMNM’s boundaries. This decision affects an expansive marine protected area spanning approximately 495,189 square miles in the central Pacific Ocean – a region nearly five times the size of all U.S. National Parks combined.
This would seem to provide additional justification for a Coast Guard base and cutters (presumably Webber class WPCs) in American Samoa to provide additional safety for US fishermen and to keep unwelcome foreign fishermen out.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I wonder if this means the USCG opens up a Station, Sector and a base in American. Would that mean Stationing an OPC, Sentinel class cutter along with a small boat station.
Lots of small time fisherman go that far out?
Tuna is big business there.
Tuna clippers are about WMEC size.
Thanks!
Sorry a bad idea, this will do nothing to help combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing by foreign fleets as claimed, sending more patrol boats into the area would.
This was established to help ocean health. My question is who was paid off and how much were they paid? Or is it the fact that Obama expanded the area after GW Bush established it. We are killing the ocean, this move is just another nail in the coffin. We have a long proud history of destroying natural resources.
Move a few more resources into the area? Fine by me, satellite observation of fishing vessels is getting better all the time, but we might need to buy some private data to help.
I try to keep this blog apolitical, so I will not comment on the wisdom of the change. It is clear the President intends to remove barriers to exploiting the nation’s resources. As that happens, it is more important than ever that the Coast Guard is there to enforce the rules that are in place, and respond to emergencies.