President Bush Urged to Create World's Largest Marine Sanctuary;

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President Bush Urged to Create World's Largest Marine

Sanctuary; 'Marine Equivalent of Yellowstone National

Park'

 

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http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=78049210356

 

by Underwatertimes.com News Service

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Washington, D.C. (May 15, 2006 22:10 EST) Former

Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in a letter to

President Bush called attention to " a marvelous

opportunity to leave a historic mark on U.S. and world

conservation history. " In the letter sent earlier this

year, Gingrich urged the President to provide

permanent protection to the remote chain of

uninhabited islands, atolls, submerged banks and

surrounding waters known as the Northwestern Hawaiian

Islands (NWHI). The proposed protected area stretches

from the main Hawaiian Islands to Midway Atoll.

Gingrich notes that it is specifically within the

President's power to designate this area as a

fully-protected coral reef ecosystem. It would be the

largest such protected area in the world.

 

" It is my hope that the President will use his

executive power to protect the Northwestern Hawaiian

Islands National Marine Sanctuary, " said Gingrich. " In

doing so, he would create the marine equivalent of

Yellowstone National Park. "

 

Gingrich explained that the Northwestern Hawaiian

Islands have many important features worthy of

permanent conservation. Among its unique qualities,

the archipelago: Among them, he pointed out that the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands accounts for 10 percent

of the coral reefs under U.S. jurisdiction;

constitutes the most remote large-scale coral reef

ecosystem on the planet, which is less impacted by

pollution and use than are reefs closer to human

populations; supports a tremendous number of coral

reef species that are found only in the NWHI or in the

larger Hawaiian Archipelago; harbors the highest

proportion of un-described reef species (algae,

corals, sponges, other invertebrates) of any reefs on

the planet; comprises the largest seabird rookery in

the United States, with about 6 million seabirds from

more than 20 species breeding here; and provides

critical habitat for several globally endangered or

threatened seabird species, such as albatrosses.

 

" The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been the

subject of presidential interest since Theodore

Roosevelt established some of the islands as a bird

sanctuary in 1909, " said Gingrich in his letter. " Over

the years, four other presidents--Franklin Roosevelt,

Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan and William Clinton--

have recognized the superlative conservation values of

the area and provided increased protection to its

resources. "

 

Gingrich praised Governor Linda Lingle who earlier

this year responded to overwhelming public enthusiasm

and designated all state waters in the Northwestern

Island chain as a fully- protected state marine

refuge. But Gingrich went on to say that in order to

preserve one of the few remaining places on earth to

learn about a coral reef ecosystem in its near-natural

condition, we must offer federal protection.

 

Text of Letter to the President

 

White House

 

Washington, DC

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

I write to call your attention to a marvelous

opportunity to leave a historic mark on U.S. and world

conservation history by providing permanent protection

to the remote chain of uninhabited islands, atolls,

submerged banks and surrounding waters known as the

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which stretch from the

main Hawaiian Islands to Midway Atoll. Specifically,

it is within your power to designate this area as the

largest fully-protected coral reef ecosystem in the

world. By such action, a Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

National Marine Sanctuary would be the marine

equivalent of Yellowstone National Park.

 

The archipelago has a number of unique qualities that

make it worthy of permanent conservation. The

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands:

 

-- account for 10 percent of the coral reefs out to

100 fathoms under U.S. jurisdiction;

 

-- are the most remote large-scale coral reef

ecosystem on the planet, and are less impacted by

pollution and use than are reefs closer to human

populations;

 

-- are the least-impacted large marine ecosystem in

U.S. waters, from which we can learn how coral reef

ecosystems operate in a natural state;

 

-- are a predator-dominated ecosystem, unlike all

other large- scale coral reef ecosystems in which

predator fish have been heavily depleted;

 

-- support the highest degree of endemic coral reef

species, meaning species that are found only in the

NWHI or in the Hawaiian Archipelago (about 25 percent

of all shallow water coral reef species in the NWHI

are endemic);

 

-- harbor the highest proportion of un-described reef

species (algae, corals, sponges, other invertebrates)

of any reefs on the planet;

 

-- are home to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the

only surviving marine mammal that is wholly dependent

on coral reefs, and whose complete habitat is within

U.S. waters (estimated population of 1300);

 

-- comprise the largest seabird rookery in the United

States, with about 6 million seabirds from more than

20 species breeding here, and provide critical habitat

for several globally endangered or threatened seabird

species, such as albatrosses;

 

-- are the nesting grounds for more than 90 percent of

green sea turtles in the Hawaiian Archipelago; and

 

-- are culturally important to Native Hawaiians.

 

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been the

subject of presidential interest since Theodore

Roosevelt established some of the islands as a bird

sanctuary in 1909. Over the years, four other

presidents--Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald

Reagan and William Clinton--have recognized the

superlative conservation values of the area and

provided increased protection to its resources. In

2000, the 84-million acre area was designated as a

Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve by executive order At

that time, Congress concurrently directed that a

federal marine sanctuary designation be considered for

the reserve area.

 

This year, Governor Linda Lingle responded to

overwhelming public comments and designated all state

waters in the Northwestern Island chain as a

fully-protected state refuge. She has called on the

federal government to follow suit, and apply

comparable protection to federal waters within the

proposed sanctuary. In early December, the Governor

highlighted her position by visiting Midway with James

Connaughton and other federal officials.

 

Your administration, under the leadership of the

Secretary of Commerce, is now completing a sanctuary

designation process. The stated purpose of the

proposed sanctuary is " long-term protection of the

marine ecosystems in their natural character. " An

enormous amount of public consultation has occurred,

and a draft environmental impact statement is due to

be issued by the Secretary in 2006. Expressed public

sentiment favors full protection of the area.

 

At issue is whether or not the sanctuary will be one

that is fully protected from all extractive

activities, such as commercial fishing, seabed mining,

coral removal, and the like. The National Marine

Sanctuaries System Act permits you to establish marine

sanctuaries with varying degrees of protection,

including full protection. Unlike the locations of

existing marine sanctuaries, the Northwestern Hawaiian

Islands are highly isolated, and have no inhabitants

except wildlife and a few researchers. Designation of

a fully protected sanctuary is achievable because no

one lives in these remote islands. A small,

economically marginal and shrinking fishery for

bottomfish does take place in the area. However, the

Department of Commerce recently announced that these

species are experiencing overfishing. Thus, conditions

are ripe to buy-out the nine fishing boats for fair

and just compensation, an action called for by

Governor Lingle.

 

I cannot think of a better conservation opportunity

for you than to complete the conservation work begun

by Theodore Roosevelt. A decision to fully-protect the

islands would be the highest and best use for the

area, and would be widely acclaimed by Hawaiians and

conservationists worldwide. Whether one is concerned

about ecological integrity, coral reefs, seabirds, sea

turtles, sharks, or reef fish, the Northwestern

Hawaiian Islands offers one of the few remaining

places on earth to learn more about a coral reef

ecosystem in its near-natural condition. As Peter

Young, Director of Hawaii's Department of Land and

Natural Resources said after his recent visit to the

NWHI, " If there were ever a place on earth you wanted

to see remain unchanged forever, this is it... The

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands deserve the strongest

protections and should be the place on earth where we

don't take something. "

 

Sincerely,

 

Newt Gingrich

 

Cc: Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, The

Honorable Daniel Inouye, The Honorable Daniel Akaka,

The Honorable Neil Abercrombie, The Honorable Ed Case,

The Honorable Linda Lingle

 

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