Subject: KOKUA ALERT – Public Meetings on Papahānaumokuākea Expansion!
Date: July 27, 2016 at 5:23:25 PM HST
KOKUA ALERT – Public Meetings on Papahānaumokuākea Expansion!
Aloha, everyone. We are on the home stretch in creating the world’s largest marine protected area at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This is one of the last opportunities for all of us to show President Obama we support expanding the monument.
Last week, the Obama Administration announced two public meetings for us to provide comment on the proposed monument expansion. This is in response to a massive, statewide movement by thousands of supporters to increase the protections of this special place. Senator Brian Schatz also backed this effort by providing a proposal for expansion, which you can view at http://www.schatz.senate.gov/press-releases/schatz-proposes-creation-of-worlds-largest-marine-protected-area.
Please join us in person as we stand together for our ocean at these historic public meetings. We will have transportation pick-up and car pool locations on both islands to make transportation to the public meetings easy and fun! (See following links for O‘ahu and Kaua‘i meetings.)
RSVP TO LET US KNOW YOU’RE COMING AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
O‘ahu Meeting RSVP here: http://expandpmnm.com/publicmeetings
Monday, August 1, 5-8pm
Filipino Community Center
94-428 Mokuola St #302,
Waipahu, HI 96797
Kaua‘i Meeting RSVP here: http://expandpmnm.com/publicmeetings
Tuesday, August 2, 4-7pm
Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center
3-1901 Kaumuali‘i Hwy
Lihu‘e, HI 96766
Nihoa. Photo courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society
Kaupu (Black-Footed Albatross) Photo by Forest & Kim Starr
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
For starters, a larger monument will help protect this ecosystem from the threats of climate change, overfishing, seabed mining, and pollution.
By expanding the current boundaries from 50 nautical miles, out to the full 200 miles around most of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (with the exception of waters surrounding Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau and local, small-boat fishing areas near Nihoa), we have an opportunity to protect:
- The habitat of more than 7,000 species, including sharks, a keystone species in decline, whose roaming areas are not fully protected
- The world’s oldest living animal – a black coral more than 4,000 years old
- Millions of seabirds and the largest repository of seabirds in the world, especially since global populations have declined by 70% since 1950
- Migratory habitat for marine mammals, sharks, sea turtles, seabirds, and large fish such as tuna
- Nearly 110 seamounts (some as tall as 14,000-foot Mauna Kea), which are high in biodiversity and undocumented species
Expanding the monument protects these waters from commercial extraction such as industrial longline fishing and seabed mining. The expansion also presents an opportunity to rightfully elevate the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as a fourth co-trustee of Papahānaumokuākea.
Unfortunately, the opposition is mounting. Industrial-scale fishing interests are trying to stop our effort to protect this special place, even though the industry’s own fishing records show that it’s not one of their prime fishing sites. Misinformation and scare tactics are being used to try and grow the opposition to expansion. But facts trump fear! Protecting our ocean is good for marine animals and plants, Hawai‘i’s people, and our kids and generations to come. The truth will prevail.
Be a voice for the ocean during this once-in-a-lifetime moment to create the world’s largest marine reserve. Let us know you will join us at the meetings by clicking here http://expandpmnm.com/publicmeetings.
For additional information about the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) visit the Government Website at: http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov
