Editorial: More protection for Papahanaumokuakea

The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is 1,000 miles away and has a name that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. It is not a place that’s top of mind for many of us, yet this pristine part of the ocean holds great meaning in our cultural history and our contemporary well-being.

Now things could be shifting in this farthest-flung part of the Hawaiian Islands, and we should be paying attention.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last month announced it is considering designating parts of the monument as a national marine sanctuary, a distinction lost on the average person, but one that could affect its protections and practical use.

Papahanaumokuakea encompasses 582,578 square miles of land and sea, making it the nation’s largest conservation area. Its coral islands, shoals and other formations are home to diverse flora and fauna, including the Hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtle, as well as 22 species of seabirds. Native Hawaiian cultural sites found on Nihoa and Mokumanamana have gotten both those islands onto the Register of Historic Places, both state and national. Midway Atoll, site of the pivotal World War II battle and itself a national memorial, is within the Papahanaumokuakea monument.

The protected area is also a potentially rich fishing ground, so when it makes the news it’s usually in connection with conflicts between commercial fishing and environmental concerns. Fishing has been restricted there for nearly two decades, a practice that allows over-fished species to rejuvenate and populate other parts of the ocean.

Management is shared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and NOAA, which is putting the sanctuary designation forward at the direction of a U.S. Senate subcommittee, largely at the behest of Hawaii U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.

Basically, making the change from a monument to a sanctuary means solidifying its protected status. A monument can be designated by one president, then undesignated by the next. A sanctuary can only be undone by act of Congress.

A trio of presidents had a hand in Papahanaumokuakea’s status: Bill Clinton originally gave it conservation protection, George W. Bush made it a marine monument and Barack Obama expanded its size. The Trump administration considered opening the area to commercial fishing, but pulled back. Schatz has said he would like to see the protections secured for the long term.

As a first step in the sanctuary branding, which could take more than two years, NOAA filed a notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact statement. Public meetings will follow; comments will be taken through Jan. 31.

NOAA maintains that sanctuary status will not diminish any of the protections that now govern Papahanaumokuakea — and indeed, having a protective designation not vulnerable to any one president’s reduction or rollback is important. Other observers, though, say the process will reopen discussion on use of the area for commercial fishing. And it is likely that groups such as the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which has opposed fishing restrictions in sanctuaries for years, will fight for access.

That doesn’t have to mean a showdown between those who provide fish for our tables and those who seek to protect this habitat. As Gov. David Ige commented when Obama expanded the monument in 2016, “… we can balance the management of this unique natural habitat and its historic artifacts with the needs of the human population.“

The important thing for all of us is to get to know this place for more than its really long name, and take an interest in its development.

For information on public meetings and how to submit comment, go to 808ne.ws/sanctuaryinfo. Virtual meetings via Zoom begin Wednesday.