The outgoing president will announce a massive expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument across a swath of the Pacific. As Governor David Ige noted, it has been the source of “tremendous” debate, especially due to the exclusion of fishing from the expanded waters. But the pro-expansion movement has been resilient.
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Ultimately, the President agreed.
Obama is also going to visit his native Hawaii to participate in a conference of Pacific Island leaders and a world conservation conference in Honolulu.
The designation will roughly quadruple the size of the monument, expanding it from 139,797 to 582,578 square miles. But under the 1906 Antiquities Act, the president can designate sites as national monuments, giving them numerous same protections. But the White House said the federal government would sign an agreement to give Hawaii more control over the area. According to his Proclamation, the area “supports a dynamic reef ecosystem with more than 7,000 marine species, of which approximately one quarter are unique to the Hawaiian Islands”.
In a statement supporting the decision, the environmental group Greenpeace said that sanctuaries like the one Obama created today “have proven to be powerful tools to ensure the health of our oceans”. “We are truly indebted to the leadership of Senator Schatz and other local officials in advancing this proposal”.
The area also carries substantial cultural significance as a sacred place to native Hawaiians, and historical importance as the site of the Battle of Midway, a decisive Allied victory.
WASHINGTON • United States President Barack Obama has nominated Jim Yong Kim for a second five-year term as president of the World Bank, despite persistent complaints among employees about his leadership at a time when the mission of the global development institution is in question. “Papahānaumokuākea inspired an worldwide movement to safeguard large areas of ocean and create the world’s first generation of great parks in the sea”, said Joshua S. Reichert, an executive vice president at Pew who oversees strategy for its Global Ocean Legacy project. Obama has been criticized for using his administrative authorities under the Antiquities Act, which allows the president to declare a national monument without congressional approval.
Sean Martin is the president of the Hawaii Longline Association. Since that time, new scientific exploration and research has revealed new species and deep sea habitats as well as important ecological connections between the existing monument and the adjacent waters. He said the monument’s expansion would be based on political and not scientific reasons. “This declaration sets us on a strong path forward for our irreplaceable environment and the generations to come”.
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“President Obama’s efforts to enhance protections for our ocean ecosystem will help to combat climate change, preserve biodiversity, and honor cultural traditions”, she said.
