Posted on: Sunday, May 11, 2003

EDITORIAL
Midway Atoll must be open to visitors

The appointment of a new contractor to take over operations at Midway Atoll should kick-start the resumption of tourist visits to the island, west of Hawai'i.

Midway is rich in both natural and man-made history. Because it has decent infrastructure, it is an ideal place for those who wish to experience a Pacific atoll ecosystem.

The previous operator at Midway, Midway Phoenix, shut down last year after complaining that restrictions imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made it impossible to run a profit.

The new operator, Chugach McKinley Inc., is an Alaskan firm with long experience operating military facilities. That's fine, but Midway is no longer strictly a military facility. It is a National Wildlife Refuge, which by definition should be available to all citizens who wish to enjoy it.

At the earliest possible moment, Chugach and the Fish and Wildlife Service should sit down and work on a plan that would enable visitors to return once again to Midway.