ProtectPRI@gmail.com

Pacific Voices

Photo Credit: Kydd Pollock TNC

We are a coalition of Indigenous Peoples from throughout Moananuiākea, the vast Pacific, who are brought together by a love for the ocean that connects and sustains us. We write to ask that you protect our precious ocean and way of life by expanding and renaming the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument through the powers granted to your office under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

pricoalition

The Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) is among the last

The Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) is among the last wild and healthy marine ecosystems in the world, largely isolated from human activity.

Climate change has been heating ocean temperatures and making them more acidic, triggering nature imbalances that are exponentially rising.

Protecting areas like PRI that are most resilient in the face due to their remote location and natural features may be our best chance to preserve intact ecosystems and, by extension, the species that live there.

🌎 Expanding protection for PRI is a meaningful step the U.S. can take toward climate action. Learn more and get involved! protectpri.com.
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#OceanConservation #MPAs #PacificRemoteIslands #MonumentsForAll #OneOcean #ProtectOurOcean #ProtectPRI #PacificOcean #Biodiversity #SaveTheOcean #30x30 #MarineConservation #OnePlanet #WildNature #KeepthemWild #ClimateChange #SaveTheReef

According to current data and modeling, expanding

According to current data and modeling, expanding protection for the waters of the Pacific Remote Islands would contribute to Pacific Ocean resilience in the face of climate change, as well as protect populations of endangered species as well as tuna and other fish stock in this area of the Pacific. Deep-sea mining interests have identified these waters as high-value areas and expansion of the monument would deny this major threat within its protected boundaries.

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“Our world’s oceans are at mortal risk, a breaking point precipitated by unsustainable overfishing and other resource extraction, debris and land-based pollution, exacerbated and compounded by the devastating and pervasive marine effects of climate change,” says Congressman Ed Case (@repedcase) (HI-01), a member of the U.S. House Appropriations and Natural Resources Committees. “Expanding PRIMNM would not only enhance protection of our precious marine environment from commercial exploitation, but also advance climate resilience and preservation of one of the last wild and healthy marine ecosystems in our world.”
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In a letter addressed to the President, Case expressed his full support for the expansion as proposed by the PRI Coalition. He also noted that expanding the monument would fulfill the Biden administration’s goal of bringing 30% of our country’s marine resources under protection as set forth in its America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about the efforts to expand protections for the Pacific Remote Islands, including how you can get involved at protectpri.com.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #OceanConservation #MPAs #ClimateResilience #wildplaces #conservation #PacificOcean #NaturalResources #sustainability

The Pacific Remote Islands have significant histor

The Pacific Remote Islands have significant historical and cultural connections to communities throughout the Pacific that includes colonization and research efforts of Hui Panalāʻau.

More than 130 young men from Kamehameha School, mostly Native Hawaiian, known as the Hui Panalāʻau, were dispatched to Jarvis, Howland, and Baker from 1935 to 1942 to help secure America’s territorial claim over the islands.

These Native Hawaiian men meticulously documented the environmental conditions of the islands and their waters, recorded weather patterns, and surveyed seabirds, laying the foundation for future discoveries. With limited medical access and exposed to bombings during WWII, three members of Hui Panalāʻau lost their lives as a result of their service.

The Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) Coalition is a community-driven effort to expand the protections for the PRI Marine National Monument. Our diverse coalition includes kupuna (elders), fishermen, educators, cultural practitioners, non-profits, community groups, scientists, religious organizations, veterans, and many others across the Pacific. We have a collective interest in protecting the cultural, natural, and historical legacy of these special islands and atolls.

Learn more at protectpri.com
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Hui Panalāʻau, 1936. Back row, left to right: Luther Waiwaiole, Henry Ohumukini, William Yomes, Solomon Kalama, James Carroll. Front row, left to right: Henry Mahikoa, Alexander Kahapea, George Kahanu, Sr., Joseph Kim.
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protectPRI #huipunalaau #pacificdiscovery #oceanconservation #PacificRemoteIslands #MPAs #Voyaging #PacificVoyaging #OceanVoyaging #OceanConservation #NativeHawaiian #HistoricalHawaii #HawaiianHistory

As the Hōkūleʻa (@hokuleacrew) and Hikianalia r

As the Hōkūleʻa (@hokuleacrew) and Hikianalia return from Tahiti to Hawai‘i on their Kealaikahiki voyage, we extend aloha to the Navigators and Kupuna who are reviving the art and science of wayfinding.

A Navigator is a voice for indigenous communities and a champion for planet Earth. Founded on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, the Polynesian Voyaging Society seeks to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, each other, and their natural and cultural environments.

The upcoming Moananuiākea Voyage, a circumnavigation of the Pacific Ocean launches in the spring of 2023.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s website is rich with resources, stories, and inspiration. Below are a few of our favorite pages to explore:

◎Learn more about the history of Pacific voyaging and the story of the Hōkūleʻa at waahonua.com/voyaging-story-map

◎Track the latest voyage live at waahonua.com/voyage-dashboard

◎Learn all about the Pacific Voyaging Society at hokulea.com
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📸 © Polynesian Voyaging Society | Photo: ‘Ōiwi TV | Photographer: Nāʻālehu Anthony
#PacificVoyaging #PolynesianVoyaging #voyaging #PacificPcean #oceannavigation #Hokulea #Hikianalia #Kealaikahiki #mahalo #ekomomai

Why protect the Pacific Remote Islands? 🐟Fishe

Why protect the Pacific Remote Islands?

🐟Fisheries and large protected areas can co-exist. While fishing in PRI's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is minimal, recent studies suggest that monument designations have not harmed, but likely benefited U.S. fisheries.

Marine Protected Areas give fish populations a chance to recover, and afford protection from overfishing. Expanding the protected area would also protect endangered species such as sharks and turtles from being caught as bycatch in commercial longline and purse seine fisheries.

Learn more about how protecting the Pacific Remote Islands will benefit the fishing industry at protectpri.com.
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#protectPRI #pacificocean #pacificremoteislands #marineprotectedarea #MPAs #sustainability #sustainableocean #sustainablefishing #deepocean #oneocean #hawaiifishing #pacificfishing

We would like to send our deep felt mahalo to all

We would like to send our deep felt mahalo to all those who gathered at Capital Hill Ocean Week from @marinesanctuaryfdn, for those working so hard to protect the one precious ocean we all share, and for leadership coming together to share common goals.

The decisions that governments, businesses, and communities make today will have long-term impacts on the health of our blue planet.

Delegates from the Pacific Remote Islands coalition attended Capital Hill Ocean Week to represent Hawai‘i, and to share the story about why expanding protections for the Pacific Remote Islands is important for Indigenous people throughout Hawai‘i and Polynesia, for scientific discovery and species preservation, and for climate resilience.

👉🏽Swipe to check out some of the highlights!

#CHOW2022 #OceanConservation #OneOcean #protectPRI

We are excited to bring news that Governor David I

We are excited to bring news that Governor David Ige (@govhawaii) announced his support for the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument!

“Here in the Pacific, the ocean connects us. 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,” Governor Ige said.

The monument is a complex, interconnected ecosystem and expansion is needed to ensure the continued health of land and nearshore areas into deeper waters for abundant populations of marine wildlife. Protection would pre-emptively protect tuna and other pelagic predatory fish in the face of climate change, and by extension other species that rely on their role in the food web for continued stability.

The expansion would honor the memory and sacrifice of members of Hui Panalā‘au, 130 mostly Native Hawaiian men who were sent to Howland, Baker, and Jarvis Islands from 1935-1942 which enabled the U.S. to claim jurisdiction over the area.

Expanding protection could likewise preserve the Pacific Remote Islands as a premier classroom for ancestral voyaging, preserving and promoting the culture and history of Pacific seafaring peoples.

The request for expanded protections is already supported by Hawai‘i U.S. Representative Ed Case (@repedcase) and seven local organizations, including the Bishop Museum (@bishopmuseum), the Papahānaumokuakea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group, and Papa Ola Lokahi (@papaolalokahi).

The proposed expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument would make it the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the world. Visit protectpri.com for more information.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #MPAs #Voyaging #PacificVoyaging #OceanVoyaging #OceanConservation #HawaiiNews #OceanNews #NationalMonument #MonumentsForAll @oceanprotectioncoalition @monumentsforusa

Today marks the 116th anniversary of the Antiquiti

Today marks the 116th anniversary of the Antiquities Act. What is the Antiquities Act?

Learn all about it via Monuments for All (@monumentsforusa) or monumentsforall.org!

Since 1906, the Antiquities Act has given the President the authority to designate National Monuments so that future generations can experience our nation’s wildlife, waters, historic sites, and open spaces.

As the Biden Administration seeks to advance environmental justice and conserve public lands and waters, the Antiquities Act is an invaluable tool the President can use to honor the diverse experiences of our nation and make sure these important stories and connections to land and waters continue to exist for generations to come.

These natural, cultural and historic sites, lands of great scientific value, and ocean waters are not only places, but also contribute to the ongoing and often-untold stories and true history of the United States.

The Antiquities Act is one tool the President has to fulfill his commitments to conservation for all, including protecting 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030. When we protect more lands, we’re able to mitigate some of the worst effects of the climate crisis and provide more opportunities for people of all backgrounds to experience the benefit of time in the outdoors.
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#monumentsforall #PacificRemoteIslands #protectPRI #protectourocean #OneOcean #madeinUSA #MPAs #OceanConservation

🖐🏾Who's on board? #WorldOceansDay #WorldOce

🖐🏾Who's on board?

#WorldOceansDay #WorldOceanDay #protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #PacificOcean

In 1972, the United States enacted a wave of legis

In 1972, the United States enacted a wave of legislation to protect and sustain our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. These landmark bills included the amendments to the Clean Water Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. These Acts fundamentally changed how the United States managed marine, Great Lakes, and coastal environments.

The decisions that governments, businesses, and communities make today will have long-term impacts on the health of our blue planet.

Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) begins today! Themed “Sea: The Future,” CHOW celebrates the 50 years of progress achieved and to set a course for the new policies and actions necessary to sustain our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and transform our future.

Representative from the Pacific Remote Islands Coalition are here to advocate for the expanded protections of the Pacific Remote Islands. Follow along and get all the CHOW updates right here!

If you cannot make the event in person, you can register and attend virtually. Visit marinesanctuary.org/chow-2022 for more information.

#CHOW2022 #OceanConservation #protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #oneocean #protectourocean

The Pacific Remote Islands contain some of the las

The Pacific Remote Islands contain some of the last wild and healthy ocean ecosystems in the world where wildlife thrives. Protecting areas like PRI that are able to withstand the effects of climate change due to location and natural features may be our best chance to preserve intact ecosystems and the species that live there.

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"Expanding the monument boundaries will safeguard areas of open ocean ecosystems that are intricately connected to nearshore coral reefs, and would protect habitats for endangered and threatened species, such as sharks and birds, who travel far beyond the current boundaries to breed, forage, and rest."
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James Murphy is a marine biologist and co-author of the scientific and cultural case statement for the expansion of the PRI Marine National Monument.

An estimated 98 seamounts exist outside the boundaries of the existing protections, where potential new species of corals, fish, and even bacteria may have efficacy in improving cancer treatments. Expanding protection means safeguarding these organisms for their future growth and discoveries that may change the tides of biomedical science. Most of the deep-sea biodiversity in this area remains unexplored, with recent expeditions identifying new species on every dive.

Learn more about our request to President Joseph Biden (@joebiden) to expand protections for the Pacific Remote Islands. Visit protectpri.com, sign the petition and spread the word.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #OneOcean #pacificocean #conservation #30x30 #SaveTheOcean #biodiversity #MPAs #OneOceanOnePlanet #oceanminded #nature #pacific #wildlife #naturalhabitat #preservation #oceanprotection

By coming together to protect the Pacific Remote I

By coming together to protect the Pacific Remote Islands, we can preserve precious resources, a wild and rare habitat, and a place of cultural importance.

The Pacific Remote Islands contain some of the last healthy, wild ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean. These waters are home to resilient coral reefs; threatened, endangered and critically endangered whales, sharks, rays, turtles, and seabirds; deep-sea species not found anywhere else on Earth; and the waterways of ancient and modern Indigenous voyagers.

This week, the Pacific Remote Islands Coalition sent an official request to the White House, asking President Joseph Biden to use his authority to expand protection of the waters around the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. In the request, the Coalition asked the administration to visit their respective Pacific Islands to hear from stakeholders.

The proposed expansion would extend the monument around two sets of islands and atolls from 50 to 200 nautical miles, the full extent of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), making the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument the largest highly protected marine protected area (MPA) in the world.

Learn more and get involved! Visit protectpri.com, sign the petition and spread the word.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #OneOcean #pacificocean #conservation #30x30 #SaveTheOcean #biodiversity #MPAs #OneOceanOnePlanet #oceanminded #nature #pacific #wildlife #naturalhabitat #preservation #oceanprotection

The expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine

The expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument means preserving & perpetuating Pacific history and culture.

The Pacific Remote Islands (PRI) hold a rich history stretching from ancient Polynesian voyaging, to whalers and traders in the 19th and early 20th centuries, to the colonization and research efforts of Hui Panalāʻau, to the Pacific theater of WWII, to the living cultural practices that persist in the present day.

Sol Kahoʻohalahala is a Native Hawaiian Elder, Kupa ʻĀina ʻo Lānaʻi and member of the PRI Coalition.

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"The Pacific Remote Islands hold precious connections to our past and promise for our future as Pacific peoples. In the same way these waters are at the nexus of cross-cultural voyaging pathways across Polynesia, they likewise are an intersection of climate change mitigation, cultural practice and scientific discovery. We must protect these waters."
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Teaching and practicing traditional voyaging requires seascapes like those of PRI—low-lying islands within intact oceanic ecosystems. Protecting PRI not only honors and preserves the history of its lands, waters, and the people who crossed them, but allows for continued exploration, discovery, and perpetuation of culture.

Learn more about the proposal of further protections of the Pacific Remote Islands at protectpri.com.
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#protectPRI #oceanicvoyaging #voyaginig #wayfinding #oceania #pacificocean #pacificremoteislands #hawaiianculture #indigenousculture #conservation

Why protect the Pacific Remote Islands? Expansion

Why protect the Pacific Remote Islands?

Expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument will mean we are protecting ecological diversity and resilience.

🦀. 🐬 🐟 🐙 🐠
The proposed expansion area is home to a healthy and abundant populations of wildlife including coral, fish, sharks, turtles, rays, whales, dolphins, birds, and other invertebrates that are intricately connected to nearshore and island systems.
The deep sea floor in the proposed expansion area has 98 seamounts, which serve as ecological hotspots for biodiversity and remain largely unexplored. With new species being cataloged on every dive, the deep sea in this area is rich with opportunity for discovery of unique species, many of which are slow-growing and endemic only to this area.

The deep sea also holds the potential to advance biomedicine. Compounds isolated from deep-sea organisms using non-invasive techniques have promise in cancer treatment and drug delivery, and merit further research.

In expanding the PRI Marine National Monument boundaries, these systems gain protection fundamental to their continued success and growth—including dozens of threatened and endangered species.

Learn more about the proposed expansion, and how you can get involved at protectpri.com.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #OneOcean #pacificocean #conservation #30x30 #SaveTheOcean #biodiversity #MPAs #OneOceanOnePlanet #oceanminded #nature #pacific #wildlife #naturalhabitat #presernation #oceanprotection

🐟 🦀 🐬 🐠 🐙 We're taking big action t

🐟 🦀 🐬 🐠 🐙
We're taking big action to further protect the Pacific Remote Islands, you can get involved too!

⓵ Visit protectpri.com, learn more about the PRI Coalition and sign the petition.

⓶ Use our social media kit (scan the QR code) to spread the word and share why you support expanding protections for the Pacific Remote Islands.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #takeaction #OneOcean #pacificocean #conservation #ocean #nature #pacific #sea #palmyraatoll #marineconservation #marinelife #saveouroceans #nativeocean #oceanminded #protectwhatyoulove

🌟We have big news!🌟 We are proud to announc

🌟We have big news!🌟

We are proud to announce that today, Indigenous leaders from the Pacific Remote Islands Coalition sent an official request to the White House, asking President Joseph Biden (@joebiden @potus) to use his authority to expand protection of the waters around the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM). Made up of cultural practitioners, scientists, conservationists, fishers, and community members, the Coalition is working together toward protecting the precious ocean waters of the PRI.

The proposed expansion would extend the monument around two sets of islands and atolls from 50 to 200 nautical miles, the full extent of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), making the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument the largest highly protected marine protected area (MPA) in the world.

➡️You can learn more about the Pacific Remote Island Coalition, join the request to the President, and sign the petition at protectpri.com.

👀Stay tuned on our profiles for many more updates and information!
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #OneOcean #pacificocean #conservation #ocean #nature #pacific #sea #palmyraatoll #marineconservation #marinelife #saveouroceans #nativeocean #oceanminded #protectwhatyoulove

Why is it important to protect the Pacific Remote

Why is it important to protect the Pacific Remote Islands (PRI)?

🌌From the past and future of Pacific Islander voyaging to the contributions of the Hawaiians who claimed the area for the U.S. during WWII, PRI is rich with story and history. PRI also has a rich history of oceanic voyaging, with the potential to become a training ground for the perpetuation of these cultures and traditions in the present day if it is protected from further human impact.

🐠The Pacific Remote Islands are home to resilient coral reefs, threatened and endangered wildlife, and deep-sea species found nowhere else on Earth. PRI contains some of the last wild and healthy ocean ecosystems in the world where sharks, rays, whales, dolphins, turtles, and seabirds thrive.

🪶Tropical coral reef ecosystems in Pacific Remote Islands are strongly linked to the offshore open ocean ecosystems around them. Seabirds that forage on pelagic fish bring vital nutrients back to their nesting grounds, fertilizing the remote islands with their guano. Coral reefs and their communities then take up seabird nutrients, causing reef-building corals to grow 4x faster in reefs with seabirds than those without.

🦀While much of the deep-sea diversity remains unexplored in this area, recent expeditions discovering new wonders and species on every dive. The unprotected areas of PRI contain 98 undersea mountains, or seamounts. These deep-sea habitats act as biological refuges for unique species, many found nowhere else on Earth.

Learn more about our request to President Joseph Biden (@joebiden @potus), sign the petition to protect the Pacific Remote Islands at protectpri.com.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands#conservation pacific #sea #marineconservation #marinelife #saveouroceans #nativeocean #oceanminded #pacificvoyaging #nativevoyaging #wayfinding #endemic #onlyoneocean #oceandiversity #marinebiology

What is the Pacific Remote Islands Coalition?

🏝The Pacific Remote Islands Coalition (PRI Coalition) is a community-driven effort to expand the protections for the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument. Our diverse coalition includes kupuna (elders), fishermen, educators, cultural practitioners, non-profits, community groups, scientists, religious organizations, veterans, and many others across the Pacific. We have a collective interest in protecting the cultural, natural, and historical legacy of these special islands and atolls.

The PRI Marine National Monument was originally established in 2009 by President George W. Bush (@georgewbush), and expanded in 2014 by President Barack Obama (@barackobama) under the Antiquities Act. The remaining areas needing full protection now are the waters surrounding Howard and Baker Islands, and Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll. Many in the Coalition have been advocating for full protection since 2014.

🚨Today we're announcing big news, so stay tuned for more updates.

Learn more and get involved at protectpri.com.
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#protectPRI #PacificRemoteIslands #OneOcean #pacificocean #conservation #30x30 #SaveTheOcean #Biodiversity #MPAs #OneOceanOnePlanet #oceanminded #nature #pacific #wildlife #naturalhabitat #presernation #oceanprotection

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