The White House released newly proposed efforts on Tuesday to protect the Pacific Ocean and its marine species from further harm. Certain areas of the ocean controlled by the U.S. will undergo additional measures to safeguard against climate change and illegal fishing.
Efforts proposed to protect communities on the Atlantic coast also received grant offers. The outlined measures aim to help sustain marine life and protect those affected by climate change, ocean acidification and the black market fishing industry.
President Obama's proposal focuses on the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, currently 87,000 square miles of islands and atolls in the south-central Pacific. His plan outlines expansion efforts to eventually enlarge the protected sanctuary to 782,000 square miles. George W. Bush initially designed the monument that covers mostly uninhabited area between Hawaii and American Samoa.
The White House lists the reefs and ecosystems of this protected area as some of the most endangered and fragile areas due to climate change and ocean acidification. The president's proposals follow the National Climate Assessment released by over 300 experts and a Federal Advisory Committee. The assessment backed climate change as a primary cause of rising sea levels and ocean temperatures.
The White House State Department hosted a conference titled "Our Ocean" to discuss sustainable fisheries, marine pollution and ocean acidification. The president announced his proposed measures, which do not require congressional approval, at the conference. The monument proposal would create the world's largest marine sanctuary, as per the Washington Post.
"If we ignore these problems, if we drain our oceans of their resources, we won't just be squandering one of humanity's greatest treasures," Obama said, according to the Washington Post. "We'll be cutting off one of the world's major sources of food and economic growth, including for the United States. We cannot afford to let that happen."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is targeting the illegal fishing industry to ensure that all seafood sold in the U.S. is "sustainable and traceable." According to the White House press release, $23 billion is lost from legal fishing business through "pirate fishing," and 20% of wild marine life is caught. A comprehensive program will combat seafood fraud and unreported fishing.
The president's efforts are part of his National Ocean Policy, which he outlined in his first term. Using the National Climate Assessment's findings as well as a paper released by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on ocean acidification, the president hopes to protect species diversity and fishermen, support marine research, and ensure safety for coastal communities.
