NGO's propose vast Aleutian Islands marine sanctuary to NOAA
SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton - Dec 23, 2014
The Public Employees for Environmental Responisibility and other NGO's have nominated a vast area around the Aleutian Islands to become a national marine sanctuary.
The proposed sanctuary would contain all federal waters along the entire Aleutian Islands archipelago to the Alaska mainland, including federal waters off the Pribilof Islands and Bristol Bay, an area of approximately 554,000 square nautical miles, making it the largest marine protected area in the nation, and one of the largest in the world.
With Obama's announcement of protection of Bristol Bay from oil drilling, plus the strong support for Marine sanctuaries and marine protected areas in the administration and State Department, PEER wanted to put this area on NOAA's agenda.
"While the process for final designation as a marine sanctuary takes months, the nomination can set the stage for a rapid designation as a national monument by President Obama under the Antiquities Act. This September, he used this executive power to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (first established by President G. W. Bush) to 370,000 square nautical miles, thereby creating one of the world’s largest marine protected areas...
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