Non-commercial Fishing in Policy, Practice, and Culture: Insights from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

In 2016, Presidential Proclamation 9478 expanded the boundaries of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM, or original Monument), thereby creating a new Monument Expansion Area (MEA) that extends from 50 nautical miles out to the seaward boundary of the U.S. exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles) west of the 163° W line of longitude. Presidential Proclamation 9478 prohibits commercial fishing in the MEA and allows the potential for permitting non-commercial fishing. The development of a management plan and complementary fishing regulations for the MEA will specify conditions under which non-commercial fishing may occur. As of this writing, the regulations have yet to be drafted. Once completed, they will be promulgated in coordination between the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service. This study examined existing documents to better understand non-commercial aspects of multiple types of fishing in policy and practice in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that may be useful in developing the PMNM MEA management plan.