Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2016 — Papahānaumokuākea turning 10 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Papahānaumokuākea turning 10

By Ka Wai Ola staff When the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Nahonal Monument was established in 2006, it heeame the world's first large-scale marine protected area and ushered in a new class of marine conservation. Back then, less than 1 percent of the world's oeean was protected. However, in the decade since federal and state agencies stepped up to protect the waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, another 15 such protected areas have been created. Collectively, they protect national seas and territorial waters roughly the size of Brazil. Last month, Big Ocean's "īhink Tank on the Human Dimensions of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas" brought managers, eultural practitioners, policy-makers,

donors and scholars to Honolulu to talk about best practices for these areas. Many of the participants were among 200 guests who gathered at Washington Plaee on Feb. 8 to talk about the accomplishments at Pap-

ahānaumokuākea over the past 10 years. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Nahonal Monument is the first - and only - natural and cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States. Its dedica-

tion to incorporating both Hawaiian and western science approaches to research and management have earned the monument international aeelaim. Papahānaumokuākea is eooperatively managed under three co-trustees - the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the State of Hawai'i - joined by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Management is keenly focused on protecting the natural and cultural resources at the monument. Native Hawaiian people, communities and perspectives are engaged to broaden the scope of protections, helping the managers look beyond science, species and habitat as they consider long-term protection and perpetuation of Northwestern Hawaiian Island ecosystems, Native Hawaiian culture and heritage resources. Papahānaumokuākea eneompasses nearly 140,000 acres of Paeihe Oeean, an area larger than all of the country's nahonal parks combined. Its extensive coral reefs

are home to more than 7,000 marine species, a quarter of whieh ean only be found in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Its islands and shallow waters are habitats for the threatened green turtle and endangered Hawaiian monk seal, as well as 22 species of seabirds that breed and nest there. Four species of birds, including the extremely endangered Laysan duck, can't be found anywhere else. The monument also has significant cultural sites from before and after Western contact. The island of Mokumanamana has the highest density of sacred sites in the archipelago, as well as spiritual signiheanee in Hawaiian cosmology. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs oversees management responsibilities for Papahānaumokuākea and fosters intergovernmental relationships and community partnerships that support cultural and natural resource advocacy activities throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. To learn more, visit www.oha.org/papahanau mokuakea. ■

OHA Chief Advocate Kawika Riley, Sandra Gibson, Ka Pouhana Kamana'opono Crabbe, Trustee Haunani Apoliona, Trustee Lei Ahu-lsa and Papahānaumokuākea Manager Keola Lindsey were a part of the "Partnering for Protection" event celebrating 1 0 years of cooperative management of the natural, historical and cultural resources of the Northwestern lslands by OHA, NOAA, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and DLNR. - Photo:Alice Silbanuz