Skip to content

You'll never believe what Obama did in Hawaii!

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
'We depend on the ocean for food, livelihood, recreation, and the perpetuity of traditional native Hawaiian cultural practices.'

US President Barack Obama has just quadrupled the size of Papahānaumokuākea, Hawaii territory - but why?

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Highlights

By Kenya Sinclair (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
CALIFORNIA NETWORK (https://www.youtube.com/c/californianetwork)
8/26/2016 (7 years ago)

Published in Green

Keywords: Papahānaumokuākea, Obama, Hawaii, islands, PMNM

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The island of Papahānaumokuākea, pronounced "Pa-pa-hah-nou-mo-koo-ah-keh-ah," is a Marine National Monument (PMNM).

It was established in June 2006 by former President George W. Bush and was the largest protected area in the world.


Since then, it has fallen to tenth place - until now.

President Obama has decided to explained the marine preserve four times its current size, from 139,800-miles to 582,578-square-miles, making it the world's largest marine preserve.

The expansion proposal was submitted by US Senator Brian Schatz and is designed to protect the over 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which are only found in the Hawaiian Archipelago.

According to BuzzFeed News, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated: "This historic action taken today by President Obama ensures that one of the planet's most diverse ecosystems will be preserved and protected for future generations.


"This will enhance our ability to fish over the next several generations. We need to set aside portions of our ocean to allow fish stocks to replenish themselves. The other thing it does is that it continues to put us on the map with respect to leading on climate solutions."

Though the protection of over 7,000 species sounds impressive, particularly since global extinction rates reveal up to 150 species are entirely killed off each day, many were not happy with the President's decision.

Former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi, former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano and former US Sen. Daniel Akaka, a Native Hawaiian, wrote a letter in July to oppose the expansion.

The letter read: "Hawaii is the only State in the union comprised of small islands surrounded by the ocean and remotely located thousands of miles from any other land mass. We depend on the ocean for food, livelihood, recreation, and the perpetuity of traditional native Hawaiian cultural practices."

Thirty other lawmakers, including Hawaii House Speaker Joe Souki, signed a letter to tell the President he doesn't have the authority to push the expansion and to ask him not to do so.

The expansion suddenly turns the Hawaiian fishing industry into a more expensive and competitive market, which may lead to a greater reliance on imported, frozen fish, despite the wealth of wildlife only a few miles away.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WestPac) is a council responsible for managing offshore fisheries. WestPac explained the expansion would "negatively impact" Hawaii's largets fishery and would close off over sixty percent of commercial fishing territory.

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Meanwhile, native Hawaiians are happy to keep the area "sacred."

One member of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group, Sol Kaho'ohalahala, explained: "Now that we have been finding more new discoveries of plants, animals, and creatures of Papahānaumokuākea, then it helps us to understand that the idea of creation is still happening in this area of the ocean, therefore it would be wise to protect it as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, recreational fishing and Native Hawaiian cultural practices will still be allowed with permits. Only commercial fishing and ocean mining will come to a halt in the protected zone.

Schatz explained the President has the authority to declare a monument without public input, though public meetings and sessions with stakeholders were employed.

---

The California Network is the Next Wave in delivery of information and entertainment on pop culture, social trends, lifestyle, entertainment, news, politics and economics. We are hyper-focused on one audience, YOU, the connected generation. JOIN US AS WE REDEFINE AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE.

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo
Light Your Free Payer Candle for a departed loved one

What is Palm Sunday?

Live on March 20, 2024 @ 10am PDT

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.