Bush Creates World's Largest Marine Reserve

Voice of America ^ | June 15, 2006 | Scott Stearns

[ConservativeMind]

President Bush has created the world's largest marine reserve. Mr. Bush acted to protect an area of the Pacific Ocean that is roughly the size of California.

More than 7,000 species of marine life live in a chain of reefs and shoals stretching nearly 2,000 kilometers northwest from the Hawaiian Islands.

That ecosystem is now a protected marine area where commercial and sport fishing will be phased out over the next five years. Visitors wishing to dive or take photographs must have a permit and no one will be allowed to remove animals or minerals.

President Bush says the move protects a precious natural resource and establishes an important place for research and learning.

"The oceans contain countless natural treasures," he said. "They carry much of our trade. They provide food and recreation for billions of people. We have a responsibility, a solemn responsibility, to be good stewards of the oceans and creatures who inhabit them."

The islands include endangered Hawaiian monk seals and threatened green sea turtles as well as a rookery for 14 million seabirds.

At more than 300,000 square kilometers, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument is slightly larger than Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, making it the world's biggest protected marine area.

It includes the World War II memorial on Midway Island, which will remain open for research and education programs.

President Theodore Roosevelt established a bird sanctuary on some of the islands in 1909. President Bill Clinton created a coral-reef ecosystem reserve in the area six years ago. By exercising executive powers to declare the islands a national monument, President Bush avoided what would have been a year-long review process to make the area a less-protected national marine sanctuary.

[Trteamer]

There's a LOT more ocean available in which they can ply their trade.

Actually there is 300,000 square kilometers less availiable. Now the area is off limits to everyone without the governments permission (and probably some sort of user fee).

[SierraWasp]

Don't ask me! I got so danged mad during the election campaign ending Nov. 2002 at all levels of the Repellican Party and it's so-called leaders and I'm so danged sick of holding my nose and voting... I quit the Party and re-registered "Decline to State!"

I have about as much respect for political parties and their hypocritical "leaders" anymore as I've had for church clerics and their hypocritical "leaders" for the past 45 years... NONE!!!

They're all getting GANG-GREEN of the brain!!! They make me perpetually pist!!!

[patriciaruth]

Lame Duck.

[freema]

What will the environmentalists and DUers say about this?

They're probably freaking out this minute thinking it's a premeditated military overthrow to massacre the left.

[freema]

Perhaps we could pose a question to John Murtha about his stance on this headline?

[Central Scrutiniser]

Its an area of the world I have always wanted to see, but its been near impossible before and absolutely impossible now.

But it needed protection, and I am 100% for it.

And, I hope that air service to Midway Island will start up again because of this.

I would kill to scuba dive Lisanski or French Frigate Shoals or Necker or Nihoa......

[Phocion]

Great. 50 years from now the world's biggest oil reserve will be discovered in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument and demagogues will rally behind the slogan "No drilling in NWHIMNM!"

[PzLdr]

Yes and no. I do a lot of charter fishing around Long Island. There's a lot of water, but the fish aren't in all of it. Where they are depends on type of fish, water temp., structure, and bait. So a lot of water isn't where we fish.

Even assuming there's fish in that "LOT more ocean available", how far is it from the dock? How much does fuel cost? How much can the Captain charge per angler for the trip? What's the catch limit per man? What's the reg. on size. You want to pay a guy 70 bucks on a party boat for fluke [4] with a minimum size of 18"?. How about $150 and up for a couple of stripers 28" and up?

Between regs., fuel costs and catch limits, a lot of charter boats on Long Island took a major hit last year for fluke season. Too many went out of business. The ripples included the mates on the boats, the marinas where they berthed, the mechanics and yards that did repairs and maintenance, the tackle and sporting goods shops that sold tackle, gear and bait to the boats and /or the sport fishermen. So my question is, to me, valid. And your answer appears a bit flippant and shortsighted.

[conservative in nyc]

Actually a land grab, this action goes way beyond the 200 mile limit and links up Hawaii and Midway as a single US entity? No?

Here's a map of the new National Marine Monument. Yes, the Marine Monument links up the non-Hawaiian EEZ waters off Hawaii and all the EEZ waters surrounding Midway and Kure Atoll (all of which were already in the Clinton-created NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve). It does not include Midway Island itself, which is currently a National Wildlife Refuge.

No, the Marine Reserve is fully within the United States' 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and some of the area is already closed to fishing. We have the absolute right to stop anyone we want from fishing in these waters.

[conservative in nyc]

Please cite the section in the Constitution authorizing the President authority over Federal lands, waters, and territories. Here's what mine says:

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

It sure as heck doesn't say "the President."

My Constitution says the same thing. But Congress passed a law in 1906 called the Antiquities Act, which gave the President the right to designate portions of Federally-owned land as National Monuments. Some might say that by doing this, Congress is derelict in its Constitutional duty to make rules about federal property, but the federal courts haven't found the Antiquities Act unconstitutional.

[farlander]

Fine... so maybe we'd all be better off... I think I would miss the football stadiums, tho.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Be prepared to pay more for fish.<<<

Nah. There were only maybe 8 boats that were licensed to fish there. Lobster boats were banned a while back after they decimated the lobster population.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Please cite the section in the Constitution authorizing the President authority over Federal lands, waters, and territories.<<<

He has no authority. The President, the Congress, and the federal courts (and the state governors and state legislatures and state courts) usurp the Constitution all the time. If they all decided to adhere to the Constitution tomorrow, the size of government at all levels would quickly be 'downsized' to about 20% of its current size -- maybe smaller.

[Carry_Okie]

My Constitution says the same thing. But Congress passed a law in 1906 called the Antiquities Act, which gave the President the right to designate portions of Federally-owned land as National Monuments.

Funny, my Constitution doesn't talk about "antiquities." It enumerates, "Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings," as the purposes for Federal land acquisition.

[Question Liberal Authority]

I can see the "save a tree unplant a bush" bumper stickers being pulled off a million hybrids at the announcement of this happy news.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

All this land is free, already government owned and the cost of maintaining this will be free, taken out of the money generated by tourism and Bush is a conservative. (sarc)

Why yes he is. Thank you for noticing.

Try getting some mint flavored shoes.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

There, now wasn't that easy?

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands This is also a nice link.

BTW this act was undertaken under The National Marine Sanctuaries Act passed by Congress in October 1972 which is renewed and updated regularly by Congress. This park was part of the Act the last time they renewed it.

Bush is not creating it, he is announcing it.

[beyond the sea]

Here I thought he was raising the Reserve enlistment age to 62!!!!!!----

LOL

[rabidralph]

Here are a few of them, waiting for the rest to form up.

[proudpapa]

What will the environmentalists and DUers say about this?


Answer: Who cares what they say.

What I want to know is could this make Hawaii more competitive in 2006, 2008?

I would love it if the dim's had to spend a boatload of money defending Hawaii. Money that couldn't be spent in Ohio, PA, or Wisconsin.