HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A legal battle is brewing over the Trump administration’s decision to open up a marine monument in the Pacific to commercial fishing.

The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument encompasses about 490,000 square miles of ocean southwest of Hawaii.

In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to allow commercial fishing in the protected area .

“It’s so stupid. We’re talking about a massive ocean and they’re forced to travel four to seven days to go and fish in an area that’s not as good and it’s probably a little more dangerous,” Trump said during a press conference for the order.

However, on Friday, the federal district court in Honolulu ruled against Trump’s decision.

Solomon Kahoohalahala has a familial connection to the monument a

See Full Page