President Obama announced that he will designate the world’s largest marine preserve in a large swath of the Pacific Ocean, making the area off-limits to fishing, energy exploration and other activities. The action expands upon and more than quadruples a protective measure that George W. Bush took during his presidency. Details were still sketchy this morning about how exactly the rules would be implemented, but the Washington Post reported that the proposal would go into effect later this year after a comment period and would double the area of ocean globally that is fully protected.
The designation is expected to face objections from the U.S. tuna fleet that operates in the region. Fish caught in the area account for as much as 3 percent of the annual U.S. tuna catch in the western and central Pacific, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.
When Bush created the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in 2009, he exempted sportfishing to address industry opposition.
Jeff Angers, of the Center for Coastal Conservation, said that although the group was still determining the implications of the measure, it will continue working to exempt sportfishing.
“The environmental footprint of recreational fishing and boating is de minimis,” Angers told Trade Only Today. “We will continue to explain to the administration that recreational fishing is a permissible use, even in the larger area.”
Antonio Fins, of the Guy Harvey Foundation, agreed that it was too early to comment specifically on the proposal, but said the conversation around ocean conservation is positive.
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