HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STATE OF HAWAII STATE CAPITOL HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813 May 3rd, 2016 The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States The White House 1600 Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama: As you know, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument was established on June 15, 2006 by Presidential Proclamation 8031 and was of?cially designated as the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (Monument) in 2007. Currently, the Monument designates nearly 140,000 square miles as a protected marine area. The Monument overlays the ?fty nautical mile Protective Species Zone of the Western Paci?c Fishery Management Council. The ?shing and seafood industry is an integral part of Hawaii?s culture, identity, and economy. While we understand the intent of the creation of the Monument, we do not support any expansion of the size and scope of the Monument. The use restrictions that apply within the Monument?s boundaries have already eliminated 50% of Hawaii's bottom?sh ?shery, which consisted of 17 permits, including those dedicated to indigenous native Hawaiian ?shing communities. Hawaii?s bottom?sh supply, which includes ?sh such as onaga and opakapaka, is now completely dependent upon individual Main Hawaiian Islands bottom?sh ?shermen and import. This was a direct result of the declaration of the Monument. The Hawaii Iongline ?shery (deepset and shallowset) produces high?quality, domestic, safe and sustainable open ocean seafood for Hawaii?s residents and visitors, as well as consumers in markets across the country. Hawaii?s residents consume more than double the national average in seafood per capita, per year. The Iongline ?shery produces fresh bigeye tuna (ahi), yellow?n tuna (ahi), sword?sh (mekajiki), marlin (kajiki) and other famous market species such as dorado (mahimahi), wahoo (ono), and moon?sh (opah). This industry would be reduced by at least 8% by this proposed expansion of the Monument, representing a signi?cant loss to Hawaii. In 2013, the amount of ?sh produced by the Iongline industry was 27 million pounds, with a dockside value of approximately $85.4 million dollars. An 8% reduction would represent 2.16 million pounds, with a dockside value of approximately $6.83 million dollars, which is a signi?cant amount for any industry. Nearly one-fourth of the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands are already designated as no-take marine protected areas, which exceeds the 20% global standard for marine protected areas. The proposed expansion of the Monument would increase the no-take zone to 67% of the United States exclusive economic zone waters surrounding the Hawaii archipelago. That considerable increase over 40% has the potential to be devastating to Hawaii?s already fragile economy. As an island state, Hawaii has the ability to be on the leading edge of food security and sustainability. However, too much of our food, even seafood, remains imported. Seafood self-suf?ciency in Hawaii is currently around 37% with Hawaii residents consuming an average of 36.9 pounds of seafood per year, while the rest of the United States consumes an average of 14.4 pounds of seafood per year. In 2011, seafood was the number one Hawaii food crop earning some 87.5 million dollars. The proposed expansion of the Monument with a prohibition on ?shing in the expanded areas with a reduction in seafood for Hawaii would only exacerbate this problem. There is no scienti?c or empirical data to support the claim that the current, already signi?cant size of the Monument is not suf?cient to achieve its intended goal. Additionally, the Monument was created by Presidential Proclamation authorized by section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), known as ?the Antiquities Act?, which states that ?the President, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scienti?c interest that are situated upon lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, TO: The-Honorable Barack Obama May 3, 2016 Page 2 and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be con?ned to the smallest area Compatible with the proper Care and management of the objects to be protected". Further, in Presidential Proclamation 8031, it was declared that: ?The Federal land and interests in land reserved includes approximately 139,793 square-miles of emergent and submerged lands and waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which is the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected." Thus, without suf?cient scientific and empirical data and evidence, this arbitrary expansion would be in direct violation of the Antiquities Act. We, the undersigned Members of the Hawaii State Legislature, of the Twenty-Eighth Legislature 2016, humbly ask that you do not consider expanding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine NationalMonument because there is no scientific justification or conservation benefit in doing so. There is only the potential to do harm to Hawaii?s economy, lifestyle, culture, and identity. @343 Representative Richard H.K. Onishi Aloha, Speaker Joseph M. Souki Repres?ntalitfe Henry Aquino . Representative Ken lto Representative Marcus R. Qshiro ?ame/em 81A Zn 2.4. . I Representative Detia Au Belatti . Representative Derek S.K. Kaw ami . Representative Feki Pouha Representative Isaac W. Choy Representative Bertrandkobayashi Representative Calvin K.Y. Say Representative Richard P. Cr gan Representative Sam Satoykon 7 R??rr?entative Gregg Ta?ayama . epresentative Ty J.K. Cullen Representative Bob MCDermott ever? . V@3resentative DeCoite Representative Angus L.K. McKelvey epreseN??ygg?tthuji ?4 I Repre's?rtative Cindy Evans VRepresentattve JWizuno \JRepresentative Gene Ward - \Representative Beth Fukumoto Che? Representative Dee Morikawa Wsentayttyan l. Yamane 1 7 Qtepresentative Sharon E. Har entative Mark M. Nakashima Representativ Kyle .Yamashita . cc: Brian Deese, Senior Adi?sor to the President, White House Executive Of?ce Christy Goldfuss, Managing Director, White House Council on Environmental Quality The Honorable David lge, Governor of the State of Hawai?i Hawai'i State Senate Hawai?i Congressional Delegation Suzanne Case, Chair, Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawai'i The Honorable Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior 'The Honorable Penny PritZker, Secretary of Commerce Dr. D. Sullivan, Under Secretary of Commerce of Oceans Atmosphere and NCAA Administrator