Positive Action {Hopefully}

A Positive Action {hopefully] has been taken by the current administration. They're putting 120,000 square miles of barrier reef in the Northern Hawaiian Islands under protective custody, as it were.

Why do I say hopefully? Because it is news to counter-act the surge of violence in the War. And his ratings are going up. I wonder how history will write this president. The headlines themselves are strange. It doesn't say The United States of America - It says Bush. That gives him the consciousness of power you see.

Bush to create world’s biggest ocean preserve
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ‘as important as Yellowstone,’ activist says

MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: 9:17 a.m. ET June 15, 2006

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Thursday is expected to announce the creation of the world's largest marine protected area — a group of remote Hawaiian islands that cover 84 million acres and are home to 7,000 species of birds, fish and marine mammals, at least a quarter of which are unique to Hawaii.
At a White House ceremony, the president was planning to designate the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — which have been described as "America's Galapagos" and as the most intact tropical marine region under U.S. jurisdiction — the United States' 75th national monument.
The decision immediately sets aside 139,000 square miles of largely uninhabited islands, atolls, coral reef colonies and underwater peaks known as seamounts to be managed by federal and state agencies.

BBC Reports:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5083974.stm
Bush to protect Hawaiian islands

Fishing will be phased out over five years

A swathe of Hawaiian islands are to be designated a US national monument - turning the area into the largest marine sanctuary in the world.

President George Bush is expected to announce the plans for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on Thursday.

The area, nearly as big as California, supports more than 7,000 species, a quarter of which are unique.

Environmental groups welcomed the decision, although fishing industry bodies have raised concerns.
Endangered species
More than 120,000 square miles (300,000 square kilometres) of reefs, atolls and shallow seas will immediately receive the US's highest level of environmental protection, an unnamed senior administration official said.

The area is just larger than the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia and is home to the threatened green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

{ I LOVE SEA TURTLES}

The proposed tight restrictions will mean all fishing is phased out within five years and visitors will need permits to snorkel or dive in the area, an official told the Washington Post.

{Is it for concern for the wildlife in the sea, or an excuse to block off the area for military testing. }

The islands were already being considered for designation as a national marine sanctuary.
But Mr Bush is expected to use his powers under the 1906 National Antiquities Act, which allows the president to give instant protection to important sites, to bypass a year-long process of consultation.

The area contains important habitats for 7,000 species"This is really for the first time saying the primary purpose of this area of the ocean is to be a pristine, or nearly pristine, kind of place," David Festa, director the ocean programme at Environmental Defense, told the New York Times.

"It would take it off the books as a fishing ground. That's really the first time we'll have done that in any kind of sizable area," he said.
Fisheries fears

In an interview with the Washington Post, local Democrat representative Ed Case lauded the president for undertaking "the most revolutionary act by any president, any administration, in terms of marine resources".

The monk seal is the only mammal that depends totally on coral reefs

Although only eight fishing boats are licensed to fish in the area, a local fisheries body says it plans to fight a complete ban on fishing.

"We supported the sanctuary concept but wanted the continuation of our healthy bottom fisheries up there," Kittie Simonds of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, told the New York Times.

According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, lobster populations in the area have not recovered from aggressive exploitation in the 1980s and 1990s, although this is now banned.

Recent research also shows signs of over fishing in the islands' remaining fisheries, the organisation says.

Although environmental groups welcomed the news, many remain strongly opposed to other Republican policies on the environment, including a push to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas exploration.

Interesting. The BBC link has some great pics.

The New Bruce Vido on AOL is "Eye On The Prize". Wonderful and wonderful. Backstreets.com made me angry because the reporter is saying he kind of spaced out because it was just another 'Atantic City' and he wasn't it the mood. Boogers on him. I can't get tix. You have to be appreciative at all times. Therefore, I won't give the backstreets link anymore.
http://55brucefan-jerseygirl.blogspot.com/

Last night the Sci Fi Channel had a program called, optimistically, 'Countdown to Doomsday' hosted by Matt Lauer. They had some excellent people , scientists and such. One scientist said, the singularity is near. Ha.
Somebody gave me a good quote. "Destructive behavior is a protective measure gone awry". I agree.

Peace in the Seas
\ /