[Coral-List] Expansion of marine resource protection in Palau

[Robert Richmond]

Dear Colleagues,

The Palau National Congress is set to vote on establishing a majority of 
their Exclusive Economic Zone as a Marine Sanctuary and Protected Area.  
The Pew Environmental Group is organizing a letter in support:

The Honorable Camsek Elias Chin
President of the Senate
9th Olbiil Era Kelulau
P.O. Box 8
Koror, Palau 96940

The Honorable Sabino Anastacio
Speaker, House of Delegates
9th Olbiil Era Kelulau
P.O. Box 8
Koror, Palau 96940

The Honorable Hokkon Baules
Senator
9th Olbiil Era Kelulau
P.O. Box 8
Koror, Palau 96940


Dear Senators Chin and Baules and Speaker Anastacio:

We are writing to applaud the Republic of Palau’s commitment to ocean 
conservation and the sustainable development aspirations of its citizens 
through the establishment of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary as 
proposed in Senate Bill No. 9-30.

We recognize that Palau has long been a leader in the sustainable use 
and conservation of marine resources, leading the Micronesia Challenge, 
establishing the Protected Areas Network which served as a model for the 
region, promoting a moratorium on bottom trawl fishing on the high seas 
at the UN General Assembly, and creating the world’s first shark 
sanctuary trigging similar initiatives in other island nations.

Palau will once again set the standard for sustainable ocean stewardship 
when it establishes the Palau National Marine Sanctuary covering 
approximately 80 per cent of Palauan waters.   This precedent-setting 
conservation measure is the capstone of Palau’s ocean conservation 
leadership.  It is an economically prudent initiative which will support 
Palau’s eco-tourism sector which depends on the conservation of the more 
than 1300 species of fish and 700 species of corals found in its waters, 
and increase resilience to ocean warming and acidification.  The 
creation of a sustainable domestic fishery zone to supply the local 
Palauan market will allow for modernization of the Palauan fleet and 
increased opportunities for Palauan fishers.

As you know, for Small Island Developing States, ocean conservation and 
management is at the heart of sustainable development.  Palau’s 
establishment of a large, no-take marine protected area (MPA) is a 
visionary initiative for the nation, the region and the world.  As it 
has done before, Palau is demonstrating its leadership in ocean 
conservation, and the crucial contribution of sustainably managed oceans 
to the development aspirations of the nation.  Palau is also 
demonstrating its leadership globally toward meeting the goal for marine 
protected areas agreed in the Convention on Biological Diversity, which 
will serve as a model for other nations and an opportunity for 
international partners to collaborate to enforce the closure and support 
other nations to follow suit.

Please count on us to support the Palau National Marine Sanctuary going 
forward.

Most sincerely yours,

________________________________________________________

If you are interested in signing on, please contact Seth Horstmeyer:

Seth Horstmeyer
e-mail:  shorstmeyer at pewtrusts.org
Campaigns Director | Global Ocean Legacy | The Pew Charitable Trusts
office: 202.887.8826 | mobile: 202.230.9073

Thanks and best wishes,

Bob
-- 
Robert H. Richmond, Ph.D.
Research Professor and Director
Kewalo Marine Laboratory
University of Hawaii at Manoa
41 Ahui Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 USA
Phone: 808-539-7331
Fax: 808-599-4817
E-mail: Richmond at hawaii.edu