Bill strips presidents of power to ban fishing in marine monuments

What does this do?

HR 8904 removes the president's ability to restrict or ban fishing inside marine national monuments using the Antiquities Act. Instead, all fishing in these protected ocean areas would be governed exclusively by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Existing presidential proclamations limiting fishing inside monuments would no longer apply to fishing activities.

Who does it affect?

Commercial and recreational fishermen near marine monuments, especially those around Hawaii, American Samoa, and the Pacific Islands, are the most directly affected. Environmental and conservation groups that have supported fishing bans inside monuments, and federal agencies whose authority over these areas would shift, are also affected.

Why does it matter?

Regulatory authority over fishing in marine monuments would move from the executive branch to regional fishery management councils and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Future presidents would be unable to use monument designations as a mechanism to restrict fishing in federal waters.

Where does it stand?