[Coral-List] Phoenix Islands Protected Area Dissolved and Opened to Fishing!

Sun Nov 14 17:41:45 UTC 2021

Dear all, 

I am writing in my role as co-Chief Scientist of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) Conservation Trust, and as a scientist who has worked with PIPA since 2008. I am sure that there will understandably be a lot of interest and concern in the recent NZ1 news story posted to this list earlier today.  I would advocate for temperance and patience, as this situation is still very much evolving. To provide further clarity on the recently posted news story, it is our understanding that this proposal has not yet been introduced to Kiribati’s parliament. As a sovereign nation, Kiribati has the authority to decide on PIPA. There are many partners involved in PIPA – scientists, NGOs, non-profit corporations, and philanthropists. Conversations are ongoing, and we remain hopeful that Kiribati maintains PIPA’s MPA designation, and chooses to continue as a global conservation leader. As this situation evolves, I urge us all to remain patient. 

With thanks, 

Randi Rotjan
Co-Chief Scientist of the PIPA Conservation Trust 

Randi Rotjan, Ph.D. | she / her / hers | 
Boston University Biology & BUMP | 
617- 353 – 5087 | Google Scholar  |
| Rotjan Lab Website |

-----Original Message-----
From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of KEVEN REED via Coral-List
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2021 11:41 AM
To: Austin Bowden-Kerby via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Phoenix Islands Protected Area Dissolved and Opened to Fishing!

Dear Coral-listers,

To better grasp what's at stake, may I suggest a great perspective for both the general public and scientists alike about the amazing marine ecology and geology of the PIPA area of the Republic of Kiribati which gained independence from Britain and the United States in the late 1970's:  UNDERWATER EDEN, an engaging and well-illustrated book edited by Gregory S. Stone & David Obura (U. of Chicago Press with The New England Aquarium 2013). 

While most of us may never have visited the Phoenix islands or PIPA, part of it is imbedded in Americans' psyche as the WW II battle site of Tarawa.  This would be a vanishing Eden indeed.

Don't give up the ship ('ship' is my metaphor for Planet Earth) just yet,

Keven

K.C. Reed sends
mobile: 904-505-7277
Fleming Island, FL 32003

> On 11/13/2021 10:27 PM Austin Bowden-Kerby via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
>  
> This news is greatly disturbing.
> https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/11/fears-over-chinas-involvement-in-ki
> ribatis-ditching-of-marine-reserve/
> 
> Such a horrific shame for the nation of Kiribati to give up the fight 
> to save the planet- and at such a critical time in history.
> Has the island nation most impacted by coral bleaching and sea level 
> rise now been forced to sell its very soul to the devil?
> 
> Is this desperation the result of a failure by the international 
> community to provide the required support?  Certainly none of he big 
> NGOs has a significant presence in the nation, and my own experience 
> indicates that the nation has been written off by the major funding 
> sources for climate change adaptation and for coral reefs.
> 
> Will the money obtained from selling off the fishing rights now be 
> used to meet the needs of the meek and kind people of Kiribati, many 
> of whom already suffer from degraded resources and chronic ciguatera 
> poisoning due to the death of their coral reefs from climate change?
> 
> The waves are rising, but the government leaders appear to be resigned 
> to drowning.
> 
> I am in shock.
> 
> Austin
> 
> Austin Bowden-Kerby, PhD
> Corals for Conservation
> P.O. Box 4649 Samabula, Fiji Islands
> https://www.corals4conservation.org
> https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emergency-response-to-massive-co
> ral-bleaching/ 
> <https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emergency-response-to-massive-c
> oral-bleaching/>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, Nov 13, 2021 at 7:34 AM Liz Fairey - NOAA Federal via 
> Coral-List < coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
> > The NOAA announces the NOAA Ruth Gates Coral Restoration Innovation 
> > Grant competition for Fiscal Year 2022
> >
> > Who: This competitive program provides cooperative agreements to 
> > institutions of higher education; non-profits; commercial (for 
> > profit) organizations; and U.S. territories and state, local, and 
> > Native American tribal governments.
> >
> > Where: The aim of the NOAA Ruth Gates Coral Restoration Innovation 
> > Grant competition is to improve the success of shallow water (<30 m 
> > [<100 ft]
> > depth) coral reef restoration in an increasingly variable climate.
> > Applicants must be U.S. based, but may have international partners. 
> > All U.S. funded in-water activities must take place within the U.S. 
> > coral
> > jurisdictions: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana 
> > Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
> >
> > Program Priorities: The principal objective of this grant program is 
> > to move coral intervention science towards field application in 
> > order to increase coral survivorship and promote resilient, 
> > genetically diverse, and reproductively viable coral populations. 
> > Proposed projects must align with goals and objectives of the CRCP 
> > Strategic Plan 
> > <https://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/strategic_plan2018/> and/or 
> > action items in the NOAA Action Plan on Coral Interventions < 
> > https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/noaa-action-plan-co
> > ral-interventions
> > >.
> > NOAA has identified the following two priority areas for this 
> > funding
> > announcement: 1.) Research, develop, and advance the application of 
> > innovative intervention techniques that support the persistence of 
> > corals and improve coral survivorship by enhancing coral resilience 
> > to threats, such as ocean warming or coral disease; and  2.) 
> > Research and develop methods to improve the survivorship of post larval propagation.
> >
> > Funding Amount: NOAA anticipates typical federal funding for awards 
> > will range from $100,000-$250,000/year for a total $100,000 to 
> > $750,000 over one to three years. NOAA will not accept proposals 
> > with a federal funding request of less than $100,000 or more than 
> > $1,000,000 total over three years. Applicants must provide a 1:1 
> > match of non-Federal funds or must submit a request to NOAA to waive 
> > the matching requirement if the applicant can demonstrate 1) no 
> > reasonable means are available through which an applicant can meet 
> > the matching requirement, and 2) the probable benefit of the project outweighs the public interest in such matching requirement.
> >
> > How: Applicants must apply through www.grants.gov.
> >
> > When: Applications need to be submitted through www.grants.gov by 
> > 11:59 PM Eastern Time on February 23, 2022. Due to the COVID-19 
> > situation and NOAA staff telework status, paper format applications 
> > delivered at our physical address will NOT be accepted for this FY 22-24 application cycle.
> >
> > Interested applicants may obtain the full Federal Funding 
> > Opportunity announcement by visiting www.grants.gov, clicking on the 
> > “Search Grants, tab” and searching by funding opportunity number
> > (NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2022-2007121) or by CFDA number (11.482).
> >
> > If you need further information, please contact me 
> > (liz.fairey at noaa.gov
> > ).--
> > Liz Fairey (she/her)
> > NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation
> > NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
> > 1315 East West Hwy
> > Silver Spring, MD 20910
> > 301-427-8632
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > https://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> _______________________________________________
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