Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 12, 1 December 1999 — OHA and the Coral Reef Task Force [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA and the Coral Reef Task Force

fOR HAWAIIANS, the obhgation of mālama 'āina extends from the mountains to the sea. In June 1998, President Clinton issued Executive Order 1 3089. Titled "Coral Reef Protection," it mandated action to preserve and protect the biodiversity, health, heritage, social and eeonomie value of United States' coral reef ecosystems and the marine environment. The United States Coral Reef Task Force's roster suggests it is a leading government pohcymaking body: the Secretaries of Commerce, Agriculture, Transportation, and State, and the Attomey General; the Administrators of the National Air and Space Administrator and the United States Agency for Internahonal Development; governors of the U.S. territories; and others. In March 1999, the Task Force held its second meeting on Maui. Because of the importance of coral reefs and maiine environment to the cultural and eeonomie vitahty of the Hawaiian people, OHA attended. On Maui, the members identified key actions to be implemented: • Development of a comprehensive mapping of U.S. coral resources • Designation of a network of protected areas on the coral reef • Implementation of a a coral reef monitoring program • Coordination of emergency responses to injured coral reef systems and strengthen efforts to

protect coral reefs locahy and regionally. In addition, the task force passed four Resolutions: • Resolution on coral bleaching and climate change • The U.S. islands coral reef initiative • Resolution addressing trade in coral reef species • Resolution supporting the international coral reef initiative and Asia Pacific Eeonomie Council recommendations eoncerning desfructive fishing practices (as related to coral). The Coral Reef Task Force held its third meeting on St. Croix in the Virgin Islands in early November and OHA attended to speak to Hawaiian interests. However, the voices OHA sent were from the eommunity. As our

representatives,we invited two Hawaiians with the necessary experience, expertise and eommitment: fishing legend Buzzy Agard and Maui fishery activist Isaac Harp. On very short notice, they accepted the invitation and flew to St. Croix to participate in the proceedings and develop future OHA actions in this important area. Obviously, the U.S. has a strong interest in coral reefs. It is the major importer of coral, bringing in 80 percent of all coral harvested, and of aquarium

fish, buying 50 percent of those traded worldwide. Furthermore, the "rain forests of the sea" generally offer eeonomie and environmental benefits to milhons of people as shorehne protection, recreation areas, sites of natural

beauty, sources of food, ehemicals and pharmaceuticals. In this connection, reefs provide jobs and revenues. But due to muhiple stress factors, our reefs are deteriorating worldwide at alarming rates. In fact, an estimated 10 percent of the world's reefs have aheady been lost and 60 percent of those remaining are threatened by activities traceable to modern society, such as shoreline development, polluhon runoff from detrimental agricultural and land-use practices, ship groundings, overharvesting, destructive fishing and chmate change. Combined with natural stresses such as storms, bleaching and disease, these anthropogenic pressures put the viability of the world's coral reefs at risk. Between 80 to 85 percent of ah coral reefs claimed or under the jurisdiction of the United States are located within the Hawaiian archipelago and its Exclusive Eeonomie Zone, a stretch of nearly 2,000 miles. Their estimated value approaches $100 hillion. The reef and the EEZ are ceded lands whose riches and responsibihties must be shared with the Hawaiian people Obviously, participation in task force meetings has a value. Mahalo to Buzzy and Isaac for assuring OHA's presence in St. Croix. I hope to build on OHA's confidence in them and extend our reach into the community for similar expertise and guidanee. ■

"Mahalo to Buzzy and Isaac for assuring OHA's presence in St. Croix. I hope to build on OHA's confidence in them and extend our reach into the community for similar expertise and guidance."

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