Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve
Headline: Creates Coral Reef Reserve Protecting Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
What it does: Agencies must establish and manage the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Reserve and develop an operations plan to protect its marine resources.
- Designated preservation areas closed to commercial and recreational fishing.
- Bans oil, gas, and mineral exploration and seabed alteration.
- Caps current federal fishing permits and limits gear changes.
Summary
This order creates the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve and directs the Secretary of Commerce to manage it under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. The Reserve covers about 1,200 nautical miles and includes submerged lands and waters around the islands.
It affects federal agencies, commercial and recreational fishers, Native Hawaiian users, scientists, and local interests by capping fishing permits, creating no-fishing preservation areas, banning oil, gas, and seabed alteration, and setting rules for research and enforcement. The goal is long-term protection of a diverse and culturally important marine ecosystem.
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