Gov. David Ige recently stressed the importance of preserving and protecting the ocean and coasts around Hawaii in support of a proposal to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
As of now, the monument consists of 789,141 square miles, Ige's office said in a release. Should the expansion go forward, another 425,639 square miles would be added to the monument, making it the largest marine protected area in the world.
"Here in the Pacific, the ocean connects us," Ige said in the release. "The Pacific Remote Islands are among the last wild and healthy marine ecosystems in the world, largely because of the lack of human activity. I’m in agreement that the expansion of this marine national monument is politically feasible, culturally supported, and builds on the work already done to keep this part of the Pacific Ocean healthy and abundant."
Former President George W. Bush first established the monument in 2009, Ige's office said. The area was then expanded by former President Barack Obama five years later. The Pacific Remote Islands Coalition recently petitioned President Joe Biden for yet another expansion.
Experts said the expansion is necessary to ensure a healthy interconnected ecosystem when it comes to the land and nearshore areas as well as deeper waters, Ige's office said. This would lead to a healthy population of surrounding marine wildlife.
Those in favor of the proposal said it would also honor Hui Panala'au members, who made sacrifices in order for the U.S. to gain ownership of the area, Ige's office said.