Building on his legacy as Protector in Chief, President Obama will be expanding Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument-a pre-existing protected body of water, shoals, and atolls near Hawaii-by hundreds of thousands of miles.
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That sanctuary, named Papahānaumokuākea, will expand to 582,500 square miles of protected ocean landscape on Friday, a move that has drawn both praise and criticism from environmentalists and fishermen, respectively.
The White House said the expansion is a response to a proposal from Democratic Sen. “As part of his announcement, I appreciate the President’s recognition of the importance of commercial fishing to Hawaii’s way of life and our shared goal of supporting Hawaii’s sustainable pelagic fisheries”. His visit will come after he addresses leaders from the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders and the IUCN World Conservation Congress. And while recreational fishing is allowed (with a permit), the longline, commercial fishing industry will take a hit.
“President Obama is once again taking unilateral action against the will of the people, this time the citizens of rural Maine”, Republican Gov. Paul LePage said. 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.
Among the most biodiverse areas in the world, it harbors 7000 marine species, including our planet’s largest seabird gathering site, attracting 14 million birds each year.
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument created by President Bush a decade ago has since been renamed the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, in honour of the Hawaiian gods Papahānaumoku and Wakea.
“The expansion provides critical protections for more than 7,000 marine species, including whales and sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act and the longest-living marine species in the world – black coral, which have been found to live longer than 4,500 years”, the White House statement reads.
Under the US Antiquities Act, Mr Obama has now used his executive authority to create or expand 26 national monuments, protecting nearly 550 million acres of existing federal land and water, at least twice as much as any other president in US history.
The expanded monument area contains resources of great historical and cultural significance. The move was heralded by Native Hawaiians-who use those waters for ancient cultural traditions and consider them as sacred in creation stories and myths-and conservationists.
Shipwrecks and crashed aircraft from the Battle of Midway in World War II are in the expansion area.
“Expanding Papahānaumokuākea will replenish stocks of ‘ahi, promote biodiversity, fight climate change, and give a greater voice to Native Hawaiians in managing this resource”, said Senator Schatz. This arrangement has been previously requested by Senator Brian Schatz and Governor Ige.
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Hawaii owes a big thanks to its most famous native son: President Barack Obama. Hawaii’s longline fishing fleet supplies much of the fresh tuna and other fish to Hawaii. The White House also announced this week that it has established the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Northern Maine, protecting approximately 87,500 acres, sealing Obama’s legacy of conserving more land and water than any president in USA history.
