Obama creates world's largest marine protected area

[rooster59]

Obama creates world's largest marine protected area 

 

KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday expanded a national monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating a safe zone for tuna, sea turtles and thousands of other species in what will be the world's largest marine protected area.

 

Obama's proclamation quadrupled in size a monument originally created by President George W. Bush in 2006. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument will contain some 582,578 square miles, more than twice the size of Texas.

 

The president is slated to travel to the monument next week to mark the new designation and cite the need to protect public lands and waters from climate change. The president was born in Hawaii and spent much of his childhood there.

 

In expanding the monument, Obama cited its "diverse ecological communities" as well as "great cultural significance to the Native Hawaiian community and a connection to early Polynesian culture worthy of protection and understanding."

 

The monument designation bans commercial fishing and any new mining, as is the case within the existing monument. Recreational fishing will be allowed through a permit, as will be scientific research and the removal of fish and other resources for Native Hawaiian cultural practices.

 

The regional council that manages U.S. waters in the Pacific Islands voiced disappointment with Obama's decision, saying it "serves a political legacy" rather than a conservation benefit.

 

The council recommends catch limits and other steps designed to sustain fisheries. It said it recommended other expansion options that would have minimized impacts to the Hawaii longline fishery, which supplies a large portion of the fresh tuna and other fish consumed in Hawaii.

 

"Closing 60 percent of Hawaii's waters to commercial fishing, when science is telling us that it will not lead to more productive local fisheries, makes no sense," said Edwin Ebiusi Jr., chairman of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council "Today is a sad day in the history of Hawaii's fisheries and a negative blow to our local food security."

 

Sean Martin, the president of the Hawaii Longline Association, said his organization was disappointed Obama closed an area nearly the size of Alaska without a public process.

 

"This action will forever prohibit American fishermen from accessing those American waters. Quite a legacy indeed," he said in an email to The Associated Press.

 

The Pew Charitable Trusts helped lead the push to expand the monument. It says research shows that very large, fully protected marine reserves are necessary to rebuild fish populations and diversity of species.

 

"By expanding the monument, President Obama has increased protections for one of the most biologically and culturally significant places on the planet" said Joshua S. Reichert, an executive vice president at Pew.

 

The White House is describing the expansion as helping to protect more than 7,000 species and improving the resiliency of an ecosystem dealing with ocean acidification and warming. It also is emphasizing that the expanded area is considered a sacred place for Native Hawaiians.

 

Shipwrecks and downed aircraft from the Battle of Midway in World War II dot the expansion area. The battle marked a major shift in the war. Obama will travel to the Midway Atoll to discuss the expansion.

 

With the announcement, Obama will have created or expanded 26 national monuments. The administration said Obama has protected more acreage through national monument designations than any other president.

 

The White House said the expansion is a response to a proposal from Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz and prominent Native Hawaiian leaders. The federal government will also give Hawaii's Department of Natural Resources and Office of Hawaiian Affairs a greater role in managing the monument, an arrangement requested by Schatz and Gov. David Ige.

 

Ige signed off on the expansion Wednesday, telling Obama in a letter that there had been tremendous debate on the issue locally. In the end, he decided the "proposal strikes the right balance at this time for the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands, and it can be a model for sustainability in the other oceans of planet Earth."

 

But American Samoa's delegate in the House of Representatives, Aumua Amata, said the monument expansion would place an already economically challenged territory at greater risk.

 

"Our local fishing industry, which comprises more than 80 percent of the local economy, depends heavily on access to these waters," Amata said.

 

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-08-27

[thaibeachlovers]

Finally Obama did something I support. When he said he was going to close Guantanamo I thought we had a winner, but..............................................

[ClutchClark]

16 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Finally Obama did something I support. When he said he was going to close Guantanamo I thought we had a winner, but..............................................

 

Yeah but its sure gonna drive up the cost of a tuna fish sandwich  ;-)

[Rancid]

We may be the last generation to enjoy free ocean seafood, eventually the whole ocean will get fished out. As such conservation moves are helpful, seems though as a planet we should be looking at sustainability issues so we can be replacing the fish we take out, of course clean water wouldn't do a lot of harm either.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Yeah but its sure gonna drive up the cost of a tuna fish sandwich  ;-)

I don't eat any tuna due to it being overfished. A problem sometimes when the only sammies in 7/11 are tuna.

[ClutchClark]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't eat any tuna due to it being overfished. A problem sometimes when the only sammies in 7/11 are tuna.

 

Well I hate to admit it but I eat the heck out of fish including tuna for the very reason it is over-fished and has dwindling stocks. 

 

I figure some Asian or Russian is going to IF I don't.

 

Now if they could figure a way to stop everybody then I would get on board.

 

That ahi sold in Hawaii is usually 2-4 years old flash frozen.  There is a real difference between it and the genuine freshly caught.

[stevenl]

40 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Well I hate to admit it but I eat the heck out of fish including tuna for the very reason it is over-fished and has dwindling stocks. 

 

I figure some Asian or Russian is going to IF I don't.

 

Now if they could figure a way to stop everybody then I would get on board.

 

That ahi sold in Hawaii is usually 2-4 years old flash frozen.  There is a real difference between it and the genuine freshly caught.

Yes, the usual argumentation: he is doing it so I can/have to as well.

 

A better world starts with yourself.

[ClutchClark]

10 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Yes, the usual argumentation: he is doing it so I can/have to as well.

 

A better world starts with yourself.

 

Steve,

the world is a much better place with me in it.

 

I feed beef to the masses...occasionally some hog and lamb as well.

 

I will bet money I have contriburmted far more to conservation efforts than yourself.

 

But the fact is you can avoid eating fish all you like and its not going to make one iota of difference. The wild stocks will still get fished to depletion and you won't have gained any caloric value in the process--your enemies will have.

 

And when food gets scarce you will realize I am not your enemy.

 

So until you stop the complete exploitation of our marine resources then it makes zero sense for me to jump on board. It goes against survival and I am very much a bioligical creature willing to compete for limited resources.

 

I do not know the verses to Kumbaya.

 

I do agree with obama turning this into a marine reserve though.

cheers

[Andaman Al]

Well I hate to admit it but most of you who think you are eating tuna are not eating tuna at all. Especially in a 7/11 sarnie  and very little sushi that you think is tuna is in fact tuna.

[Andaman Al]

9 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

I will bet money I have contriburmted far more to conservation efforts than yourself.

 

ClutchClark, you gotta stop watching all the Trump videos, you are picking up his language

[ClutchClark]

2 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

 

ClutchClark, you gotta stop watching all the Trump videos, you are picking up his language

 

That was great !

 

But if its not tuna then what is it?

 

I am pretty certain I am getting big eye rather than blue fin often but thats still tuna??

 

thanks for the humor AA...it was spot on.

[ilostmypassword]

26 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

Well I hate to admit it but most of you who think you are eating tuna are not eating tuna at all. Especially in a 7/11 sarnie  and very little sushi that you think is tuna is in fact tuna.

What is it if it's not tuna?

[Andaman Al]

39 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

That was great !

 

But if its not tuna then what is it?

 

I am pretty certain I am getting big eye rather than blue fin often but thats still tuna??

 

thanks for the humor AA...it was spot on.

 

 

In the US the most common substitutes are Escolar for 'white Tuna', and also snapper (not Red Snapper as this is also the subject of substitution). They actually use a number of substitutes (by the way Escolar can cause real problems with digestion issues) it is very rare that you will get real Tuna. Think how expensive Tuna actually is, if you are getting a plate of sushi for 10$ it is not Tuna, if you are paying $200 then it probably is. Also a point to consider with todays oceans. The most prized Tuna such as Blue Fin are very large fish that have been around some years, they are muscular and lean and because of this they actually accumulate large amounts of mercury, unfortunately they are just not good for you. There are gazillions of pages that will help you discern what you are getting and what you want. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news as I am a seafood lover myself, but these days Tuna is simply to rare and too expensive to be served on a two dollar sandwich or a 10$ plate of Sushi at YoYo Sushi.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Andaman Al

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, Andaman Al said:

 

 

In the US the most common substitutes are Escolar for 'white Tuna', and also snapper (not Red Snapper as this is also the subject of substitution). They actually use a number of substitutes (by the way Escolar can cause real problems with digestion issues) it is very rare that you will get real Tuna. Think how expensive Tuna actually is, if you are getting a plate of sushi for 10$ it is not Tuna, if you are paying $200 then it probably is. Also a point to consider with todays oceans. The most prized Tuna such as Blue Fin are very large fish that have been around some years, they are muscular and lean and because of this they actually accumulate large amounts of mercury, unfortunately they are just not good for you. There are gazillions of pages that will help you discern what you are getting and what you want. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news as I am a seafood lover myself, but these days Tuna is simply to rare and too expensive to be served on a two dollar sandwich or a 10$ plate of Sushi at YoYo Sushi.

Well, there are all kinds of Tuna.  Yellowfin tuna is the kind most commonly used for sushi and sashim. It's also the least desirable of the big three. ANd while it is overexploited there are still plenty left. Though not for long in the Atlantic and Indian ocean.  So I don't think other fish are being peddled as yellowfin. I do know that lower quality yellowfin meat is exposed to carbon monoxide to make it redder. 

And bluefin isn't valued because of its leanness. It's exactly the opposite. The fattier a tuna it, the more value it has, other things being equal.  And it's the fat where the mercury and other toxins build up. And you are absolutely correct in stating that the older a fish is, the more mercure it accumulates. I think the phenomenon is called bioaccumulation but I could be making that up.

[ClutchClark]

http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/December-2013/The-Everything-Guide-to-Ahi/Bigeye-versus-Yellowfin-Tuna/

 

Big Eye vs Yellowfin in Hawaii.

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/December-2013/The-Everything-Guide-to-Ahi/Bigeye-versus-Yellowfin-Tuna/

 

Big Eye vs Yellowfin in Hawaii.

The big difference is bigeye is usually absolutely delicious whereas yellowfin not so much.

[mamypoko]

I'm going to miss you, Mr. President!

[Andaman Al]

2 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

Well, there are all kinds of Tuna.  Yellowfin tuna is the kind most commonly used for sushi and sashim. It's also the least desirable of the big three. ANd while it is overexploited there are still plenty left. Though not for long in the Atlantic and Indian ocean.  So I don't think other fish are being peddled as yellowfin. I do know that lower quality yellowfin meat is exposed to carbon monoxide to make it redder. 

And bluefin isn't valued because of its leanness. It's exactly the opposite. The fattier a tuna it, the more value it has, other things being equal.  And it's the fat where the mercury and other toxins build up. And you are absolutely correct in stating that the older a fish is, the more mercure it accumulates. I think the phenomenon is called bioaccumulation but I could be making that up.

 

I must have used bad grammar as I did not mean to imply the value of Tuna was because of its leanness. I was just stating a fact that the Blue Fin tends to be more muscular than other Tuna and in fact Mercury accumulates in muscle mass as far as I am aware. Back to point though, it is doubtful in your normal eatery in the US that tuna is in fact tuna, exactly the same in Thailand.

[Rod Gold]

Dang, if he keeps this up, he may become likeable before he leaves office.  Naw! 

[Taco]

Another accolade to add to a long list of forward thinking initiatives Obama has enacted that will help future generations.  His legacy on climate change, vetoing the keystone pipeline and protecting and expanding national parks will bring benefits to Americans and the world for generations to come.  For some reason so many ignorant and stubborn religious older white Americans don't like to give him credit for trying to fix a lot of damage the baby boomers have done to our environment.

He will be sorely missed.

[ilostmypassword]

36 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

 

You have already lost your argument when you have to strawman a position.

 

Take a look at the Founding Fathers there pal and tell me who led the country. Take a look at the Presidents. 

 

Take a look at the Leaders of the US through its history.

 

Religious white guys.

 

Maybe Taco is from Mexico or another hispanic country...if so, hows that working out?

 

 

Here's what you wrote:

"No doubt about it, the America you live in was brought to you by those religious old hard-working white folk. And I have to say we, the greatest Generation, did a damn good job. "  

I don't see any references to Presidents here.  Just to "religious hard working white folk."

[ClutchClark]

Taco.

 

I tried to edit my post but the edit function is out for the count.

 

Good tacos are hard to find here...too bad you are not in BKK.

 

 

[boomerangutang]

8 hours ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Yeah but its sure gonna drive up the cost of a tuna fish sandwich  ;-)

 

I stopped eating tuna years ago. Didn't want to contribute to their being overfished.  Sure, one person is not going to affect the industry, but if it catches on, it could be 100 million people or a billion who switch to other sources of protein.   Beef eating is also going down markedly in the US, and that's affecting the cattle industry, which in turn lessens pollution, increases availability of water from aquifers, makes arable land available for plants, and lessens intestinal problems for those who switch to more readily digestible fare.

 

59 minutes ago, ClutchClark said:

You know who brought you the National Park System? An angry old white guy named Teddy Roosevelt. 

 

T.Roosevelt did good, but he was greatly influenced by the original hippie tree hugger; John Muir.  When Roosevelt was waffling about designating Yosemite, Muir took him aside at a party in SF and got him to go camping with him.  They camped in the open and woke with a thin layer of frost on their sleeping bags.  They probably woke late because they were up almost all night at the campfire, with Muir telling Teddy the advantages of having protected state and national parks.  It must have had some influence.   I applaud Roosevelt, but there are many unsung heroes in the story.

[ClutchClark]

5 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

 

I stopped eating tuna years ago. Didn't want to contribute to their being overfished.  Sure, one person is not going to affect the industry, but if it catches on, it could be 100 million people or a billion who switch to other sources of protein.   Beef eating is also going down markedly in the US, and that's affecting the cattle industry, which in turn lessens pollution, increases availability of water from aquifers, makes arable land available for plants, and lessens intestinal problems for those who switch to more readily digestible fare.

 

 

T.Roosevelt did good, but he was greatly influenced by the original hippie tree hugger; John Muir.  When Roosevelt was waffling about designating Yosemite, Muir took him aside at a party in SF and got him to go camping with him.  They camped in the open and woke with a thin layer of frost on their sleeping bags.  They probably woke late because they were up almost all night at the campfire, with Muir telling Teddy the advantages of having protected state and national parks.  It must have had some influence.   I applaud Roosevelt, but there are many unsung heroes in the story.

 

Boomer ! What is this malarky about John Muir? Bah!

 

Where do you come up with these ideas? Mother Earth News? 

 

Teddy Roosevelt loved the outdoors since he was a sickly little kid and had been sleeping under the open sky for many years hunting big game and chasing the Spanish  with his Rough Riders (a group of ranchers, miners, cowboys and other outdoorsman).  No hippees in that bunch ;-)

 

Muir used to be afraid of the dark and so Teddy brought him out into the woods camping to help him get over his fears.

 

No sir, it was Republicans who first established the NPS and wilderness designations and its nice to see obama continue on with that tradition in these waters off Hawaii.

 

Cheers

[Sheryl]

Off topic posts have been removed.

 

Please stay on topic and refrain from baiting each other

[ClutchClark]

2 hours ago, Taco said:

Another accolade to add to a long list of forward thinking initiatives Obama has enacted that will help future generations.  His legacy on climate change, vetoing the keystone pipeline and protecting and expanding national parks will bring benefits to Americans and the world for generations to come.  For some reason so many ignorant and stubborn religious older white Americans don't like to give him credit for trying to fix a lot of damage the baby boomers have done to our environment.

He will be sorely missed.

 

Yep...just blame all the problems of the world on us old angry Christian white guys. 

 

We've got big shoulders...we can take it.

 

Thats why they called us the Greatest Generation ;-)

 

We've been shaping the world we live in since before the Boston Tea Party. 

 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2016 by ClutchClark

[Chicog]

Well done Obama.

 

Even if it is just a tiny little spot of the ocean, it's a start.

[boomerangutang]

2 hours ago, ClutchClark said:

 

Boomer ! What is this malarky about John Muir? Bah!

 

Where do you come up with these ideas? Mother Earth News? 

 

Teddy Roosevelt loved the outdoors since he was a sickly little kid and had been sleeping under the open sky for many years hunting big game and chasing the Spanish  with his Rough Riders (a group of ranchers, miners, cowboys and other outdoorsman).  No hippees in that bunch ;-)

 

Muir used to be afraid of the dark and so Teddy brought him out into the woods camping to help him get over his fears.

 

No sir, it was Republicans who first established the NPS and wilderness designations and its nice to see obama continue on with that tradition in these waters off Hawaii.

 

Cheers

 

In my post, I gave credit to T.Roosevelt where credit was due.  I was saying Roosevelt was in a position to sign papers re; the first parks, and that's a good thing.  No need to put down the real true blue environmentalists like Muir.  P.S. Muir didn't shoot to maim and kill large numbers of vegetarian beasts.

 

[ClutchClark]

4 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

 

In my post, I gave credit to T.Roosevelt where credit was due.  I was saying Roosevelt was in a position to sign papers re; the first parks, and that's a good thing.  No need to put down the real true blue environmentalists like Muir.  P.S. Muir didn't shoot to maim and kill large numbers of vegetarian beasts.

 

 

Boomer.

 

I come from the American West and our humor is pretty dry. Unfortunately, its sometimes too dry to be recognized here even when I plaster it with smileys  ;-)

 

but you assertion that the NPS is the result of Muir and not Teddy is really carrying your partisanship to quite an extreme. 

 

As for Teddy shooting vegetarians--bears, cougars & wolves eat meat my friend. Its always an eye opener for environmentslists when they learn how much more money is contributed to environmental concerns by conservationists than by keyboard environmentalists. (Not directed at you...I have no idea your personal contributions). 

 

This was a good move on obamas part except that it did not allow for public comment. That concerns me. 

 

The other thing that concerns me is that it has overtly racist preferences in the legislation in that it allows one subset of American citizens far more fishing rights in these waters than other Americans. I am always humored by the Democrats who shout and holler for equality and then constantly legislate through discrimination.

 

 

[ClutchClark]

More details can be found here:

 

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/obamas-expansion-of-a-vast-pacific-reserve-built-on-a-bush-foundation/?_r=0