[Coral-List] Urgent-President of Palau needs input to support retaining protection for Bolbometopon and Napoleaon wrasse

[Charles Birkeland]

Some short-sighted politicians in Palau are about to wipe out 3 decades of
Palau’s positive environmental PR by having a bill signed into law that
will allow hunting of *Bolbometopon* *muricatum* and *Cheilinus undulatus*.


Your *respectful* comments are urgently needed to support the move of the
Palau president to send this back to Congress to request further
consideration of this bill. I have a 10-page request from the Office of the
President for input / comments on this bill. If you need a copy, I can send
it to you when I get home this evening charlesb at hawaii.edu. However, the
deadline is February 7, which is effectively tomorrow in the US and Hawaii
because Palau is west of the dateline. Please think it over now. It is
urgent.



Of particular concern in this bill is the trailer “personal consumption *and
other related uses*.” Once this is law, this vague term could be
interpreted to include commercial exploitation. What do you think of a
compromise to specifically allow use at special personal social
celebrations including a wedding or arrival of a first-born child? Perhaps
a compromise that specifically allows for special occasions, but explicitly
does not allow for commercial exploitation, would be an acceptable
alternative with success on both sides of the issue. It would be good for
each of use to concisely substantiate this suggestion in our own words with
an explanation of the basic life-history and an ecology of these large
species that do not allow commercial exploitation or personal consumption
or commercial exploitation.



Please be involved and do not disregard on the assumption that plenty of
others will do it.



You may also send this to your concerned friends and colleagues to give
input to the president.



President Remengesau's office is seeking your URGENT ASSISTANCE with
comments regarding a bill approved by Congress now before him for signature
approving the hunting of Napoleon Wrasse and Bumphead Parrotfish.
The President does not support this bill. However, he has three choices:


a) sign it and make it law;
b) refer it back to Congress with recommendations BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS
c) refuse to sign it which will allow it to automatically become law
without his signature;

Please send your comments to:



*ROP.PRESIDENT at PALAUNET.COM <ROP.PRESIDENT at PALAUNET.COM>*   DEADLINE 7 FEB,
2020 (Friday)!  Reference SB 10-78 SD1



*Please keep all commentary professional and respectful. Rudeness and
disrespect are counter-productive. President is seeking your help with
prudent and appropriate input.*