“This monument is a national treasure—critical to our planet’s ecological health and deeply meaningful to the communities connected to it,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Decisions about its future should prioritize conservation, Indigenous leadership, and the public interest.”

Latinos are increasingly part of this story. They make up 10% of Hawaiʻi’s population and are the state’s fastest-growing ethnic group. Across the Pacific and the continental U.S., Latino communities are advocating for a healthier planet and understand the urgency of protecting fragile ecosystems from unsustainable industrial practices. Industrial fishing in these waters poses serious risks. Such methods can harm endangered wildlife, damage deep-sea coral habitats, and disrupt food webs. These consequences don’t just threaten biodiversity—they harm the health of our oceans and the communities that rely on them.

“We must protect this monument like we would any part of God’s ocean,” said Pastor José Martín Beteran, a Por La Creación Faith-Based Alliance Network member based in Hawai‘i. “The beauty of Hawai‘i’s clear blue waters, its reefs full of life, and the whales that journey here to give birth—it’s all part of God’s creation. These are sacred places that should be preserved, not exploited. Just as we honor ocean heritage in places like Honolulu, we must also safeguard these marine treasures in the national marine monument for our children and generations to come. We depend on them, and we’re called to care for them.”

“I strongly oppose opening the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to fishing,” said Virginia Delgado, Conservation Network member. “This place is home to rare wildlife found nowhere else, and Hawai‘i is already losing species faster than anywhere else in the U.S. Allowing commercial fishing here will only speed up that loss. For many, including Native Hawaiians, animals like monk seals and sea turtles are part of our culture and daily lives. My family fishes, paddles, and snorkels in these waters—they’re part of who we are. We need to protect these places, not put them at risk.”

We call on decision-makers to uphold the bipartisan legacy of the Antiquities Act, under which presidents from both parties have protected America’s cultural and natural heritage for over a century. The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument deserves continued protection and now is the time to unite in defense of our oceans and ensure that decisions made today reflect the values, science, and voices of the communities that will live with their impact.

To learn more about the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, visit https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/habitat-conservation/pacific-islands-heritage-marine-national-monument.