OHA named trustee of marine monument
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama spoke to members of the media as he toured on Midway Atoll in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in September.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs now has an official voice in the management of the world’s largest marine conservation area.
Gov. David Ige announced today that OHA has been added as a co-trustee of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
President Barack Obama last year expanded the monument to encompass about 583,000 square miles of protected ocean.
OHA’s support of the expansion was contingent on having a say in the monument’s management, including advocating for Native Hawaiian access.
OHA Chief Executive Officer Kamanaopono Crabbe says the historic action places Native Hawaiians at the highest levels of decision making for a culturally and spiritually significant place.
Other co-trustees are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
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13 responses to “OHA named trustee of marine monument”
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What happens when the other trustees disagree with OHA? Do Native Hawaiians surround the Monument and claim it as their traditional fishing area and exclude all the foreigners.
Hoping to help fix your misconceptions about the monument. The monument now extends to the 200 mile EEZ of the US – this area has long been prohibited from foreign fishing – there are no foreigners to exclude – the only real change is that Hawaii based longline boats will have to rethink whether or not to cross through the monument during their fishing trips – they won’t be fishing – they will just be transiting and now have to make a 3-4 day excursion from one side of the monument to the other- this will be a major decision.
Joint trustee coordination within a monument is not a new concept – the governing entities will reach decisions based on the same democratic principles that govern most other deliberative bodies –
To surround the new monument with Native Hawaiians would take tens of thousands of boats and even more people, and even then it would be a porous border- These distant waters are really not traditional fishing areas for native Hawaiians…
-hope some of this info. helps you, but please read beyond the local paper if you want to actually learn about the realities of the monument. NOAA.gov is a good place to start search for the monument and the information is readily available.
So are these OHA trustees going to be able to fish there ? Kinda like the King’s Forest ?
I fully expect the price of fish and lobster to take a dive in the local markets before long. In the name of preservation, of course.
Many Hawaiians want the area opened up to traditional fishing rights hon. Hawaiians, like all people, do not have a monolithic position.
Who in the world thought it would be a good idea to place the incompetent and corrupt OHA in a position of co-authority over a national treasure? And by national treasure, I mean belonging to the United States of America and not some imaginary Hawaiian entity. These people do not have a good management track record.
Agree. They can’t even get along within their own meetings to manage what they already been entrusted with. Why give them more to manage. Some one not thinking clear on this.
OHA going to enforce? More like under the table fishing rights for friends. Let the sellout begin.
Why the issue with OHA and not DLNR? Both are state agencies, both have their own issues. Be glad that Hawaii residents have a say at all instead of the monument just being run by the feds.
OHA couldn’t manage their way out of a paper bag. Why are they given a management voice in something new to mess up?
agree. OHA is way too corrupt, selfish and anti-Hawaiin to have any federal position. They do not speak for Hawaii or Hawaiians.
You have got to be kidding! It’s not April Fools Day yet, is it?
The mongoose guarding the chicken coop