Editorial: Don’t roll back on marine monument

Three years ago, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing a review of national monuments that had been expanded by past presidents under the Antiquities Act. The misguided aim: a rescinding or re-sizing to reopen areas for uses such as logging and mining, oil and gas exploration, and commercial fishing.

Among the marine monuments scrutinized but spared the chopping block was Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which was created by President George W. Bush — and quadrupled in size by President Barack Obama.

In a fresh threat against protection for Papahanau- mokuakea, Trump has inked another order — this one aiming to “propel the United States forward as a seafood superpower,” thereby strengthening the economy, according to a statement issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries leadership.

The order invites fishery management councils to recommend ways to reduce regulatory burden, with ideas due in early November. Three members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, along with U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Tulsi Gabbard — rightly responded with a call to stop this effort to roll back protections.

In a letter sent to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross this month, they asserted that any scrapping of Papahanaumokuakea’s expansion would deplete abundant potential for benefits tied to conservation and science as well as preserving culture and history.

Supporting a reopening is the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac), a quasi-governmental body that sets the fishing seasons and annual catch limits. The council opposed both the monument’s creation and expansion as it sidelined Wespac’s authority to regulate fishing in those waters.

In written response to Trump’s order, issued May 7, Wespac officials told the president “quick action is urgently needed to support our Hawaii and American Samoa longline fisheries” due, in part, to meet “exceptionally high retail demand” for shelf-stable tuna as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That take is at odds with some industry observers here who say in the absence of tourist diners and restaurant closures, demand for fish has plunged. Due to the impacts of the coronavirus, Hawaii longline vessels have reportedly seen a revenue reduction of about 50% over the last four months.

In response, Honolulu Hale even has started a “Fish to Dish” program — allocating $2.6 million in Coronavirus Relief Act funds to help keep the local industry afloat and distribute fresh fish to Oahu communities. That’s the sort of assistance needed now; there’s no pressing need to expand the reach of fishing waters.

Papahanaumokuakea encompasses nearly 139,800 square miles in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its reefs are home to upwards of 7,000 marine species. Among them, some 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals. And these islands are where 96% of Hawaiian green sea turtles nest.

Opening up expanses to commercial fishing vessels could cause significant lasting changes to ecosystems already under stress from other factors, including global warming and coral bleaching. The benefits of safeguarding the site’s long-term health outweighs potential short-term commercial gain.

While the monument was not necessarily established for the protection of or recovery of commercial fisheries stocks, conservationists and marine biologists argue that health in and among oceans is interconnected and interdependent.

The best way to ensure the long-term viability, including the future availability of seafood, is to protect as much as 10-30% from commercial nets, allowing marine life to replenish. At present, about 5% comes under some form of protection. Rather than chipping at marine protections, they could be further expanded.