Palau divided over government proposal to ease restrictions on fishing

A worker guts fish caught by Palauan fishermen at a fish market by Ngermalk Bay in Palau, Oct. 16, 2024. Map of Palau marine sanctuary and fishing zone A fishing boat that belongs to the Belau Offshore Fishers Inc. docks by the shore on Palau’s Malakal Island, Oct.16, 2024. Richard Rechirei, a Palauan fisherman, speaks with VOA at a ship repair shop in Palau, Oct. 16, 2024.

When Palau passed a law to close off 80% of its oceans to fishing in 2015, the tiny pacific nation became a global leader in conservation. Palau’s national marine sanctuary is one of the largest in the world.