"What happens to the ocean
is still up to us."

The Trump administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that the action aims to boost the U.S. commercial fishing industry, lower consumer seafood costs, and improve American seafood competitiveness in global markets.

Conservation Backlash

The decision quickly drew sharp criticism from conservation groups and environmental advocates. Opponents argue that the proclamation damages pristine, biodiverse ecosystems by eliminating critical protections that allow marine life and fish populations to breed, feed, and grow safely. The Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, and Center for Biological Diversity have filed a lawsuit challenging these proclamations. Click on this blog to find out what you can do to support these groups. Image Source Hawaii Public Radio

On World Oceans Day — June 8, 2026 — French Polynesia announced the designation of 515,000 square kilometers of new, fully protected marine areas across the Austral and Marquesas Islands. To put that in perspective: that is an area nearly twice the size of continental France, handed back to the ocean.

Conservation International has called it the single largest contribution to the global 30×30 goal — the international commitment to protect 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030 — ever made by one nation in one act.