President Trump on Thursday signed a proclamation reopening previously protected areas of the Pacific Ocean to commercial fishing activities.

The proclamation affects three marine national monuments, opening approximately 500,000 square miles of water around the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa to commercial fishing operations.

These areas had previously been designated as protected marine national monuments, restricting commercial fishing activities to preserve marine ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

The decision represents a significant policy shift regarding federal protection of marine areas in the Pacific region. The affected waters encompass substantial portions of ocean territory that had been under conservation management.

The proclamation follows the Trump administration's broader approach to reviewing and modifying federal land and marine protections established by previous administrations.