President Barack Obama Expands National Monument in Hawaii; What is the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument?
National monument home to more than 7,000 species of marine animals including endangered mammals, birds and turtles.
The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument located in Hawaii has grown more than 442,000 square miles Friday as President Obama has signed a presidential proclamation to increase the sanctuary's land and sea area.
Upon the addition of more than 400,000 square miles to the wildlife refuge area, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument has become the largest marine protected area in the planet. This has quadrupled the home of around 7,000 marine animals such as 24 species of dolphins and whales, sea turtles and seabirds. This refuge center is also the home of an endangered species of monk seal called the Hawaiian monk seal which forages the area for food.
Cultural and historical significance
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Aside from being the home of thousands of marine animals including marine mammals and birds, Papahanaumokuakea is also an important historical and cultural area especially for people who live in the Pacific.
President Obama signed the declaration increasing the area for the refuge center and included in the declaration were words citing the area as having an important spiritual role in the lives of native Hawaiian people.
Important points of the presidential declaration
The declaration entitled "Presidential Proclamation - - Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Expansion" mentioned the following important points:
- The ocean is an important part of the cultural identity of the Native Hawaiian community.
- Areas that are considered important are the deep sea, the sky, the ocean surface and all the creatures in the area near the Monument. These are a part of creation and settlement stories.
- The national monument area is a sacred place.
- The importance of long-distance voyaging as well as way finding in native Hawaiian communities which are in the verge of extinction.
- The open ocean as well as all the natural resources and the ecosystem along the Hawaiian Archipelago are important.
Most important actions for the health of the oceans
Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii mentioned that this proclamation was one of the most important things that a President of the US has ever did to promote the health of the oceans. The expansion of the national monument will increase the stocks and promote biodiversity in the oceans. This move will also curb climate change and provide a voice for Native Hawaiians who were tasked to protect this part of the ocean.
The area of the national monument is also the location of the wreckage of the aircraft carriers that sunk during the Battle of Midway in 1942. President Obama was able to expand Papahanaumokuakea using the power granted to him by the Antiquities Act of 1906. This allows presidents to transform public lands into national monuments.
