Posted on: Saturday, May 7, 2005

EDITORIAL
Marine refuge helps fishing industry, too

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has sensibly stepped up to fulfill one of its important roles — that of conservator — by proposing the creation of a marine refuge around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Under the state plan, all fishing would be prohibited in waters three miles around each island and atoll in the archipelago that extends 1,200 miles, between Nihoa and Kure. The refuge is envisioned as a way to protect the coral reefs that are home to native plants and, most importantly, the fertile breeding area for many marine animals, including the endangered monk seal and green sea turtle.

Protests against the state padlocking a crucial fisheries resource have some merit, in that fishing levels also will be suppressed through a more stringent federal reserve also being proposed for the area. Fisheries are sure to plead for a measure of leniency when the plan comes up Friday for a vote by the state land board.

But it's not only the depletion of the stock through normal fishing activity that's at issue. There's also the continuing accumulation of debris onto the islands, threatening the coral reef ecosystem. Others point to protecting artifacts on Nihoa and Necker islands.

Above all, it's in the long-term interest of the fisheries themselves that the fleet of islands serving as nurseries to many fish species be protected. Too few examples of pristine ocean wilderness remain to let this precious ecosystem degrade.