President Barack Obama recently proposed that the US establish the world’s largest marine sanctuary.
President Barack Obama recently proposed that the US establish the world’s largest marine sanctuary.
An area in the Pacific Ocean that lies between American Samoa and Hawaii has been selected, but specific boundaries have not been decided upon.
The proposed area would reportedly be adjacent to several U.S. controlled territories, and include 200 nautical miles of surrounding waters. The location already has a roughly 87 thousand square mile protected area called the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. It was established by President George W. Bush during his time in office.
Under Obama’s plan that sanctuary would be expanded to include about three-quarters of million miles of ocean off limits to fishing, drilling and other activities that put the habitat in peril.
Before the expansion can be made official, the proposal must go through a period of review during which time the public can make comments.
Both the Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior will also conduct research into the plan to get a big picture of how closing the area to fishing will affect commercial activity.
At this time, about 3 percent of tuna legally caught by the US fishing industry comes from the central and western Pacific Ocean.
