United States’ President Barack Obama will increase fourfold a marine reserve off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world’s largest marine protected areas in final efforts of climate change.
Obama will expand the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Pacific Ocean to an area of 937,569 km, holding over 7,000 marine species including the world’s oldest known living coral that is at 4,265 years old. The area will be used for studies for the impact of ocean acidification, caused by climate change, according to the White House statement realised on Friday.
The President who was born in Hawaii will be visiting Midway Atoll reef known for its sea turtles, monk seals and millions of sea birds and in addition is a site of pivot world war II battle.
Obama is drawing attention to the threat of climate change.
Former USA president George W Bush created the world’s largest marine reserve at the time, protecting close to 140,000 sq miles of ocean around the Hawaiian archipelago.
Some Hawaiians had argued against the expansion since commercial fishermen – who have been praised for sustainable fishing – on the area for between 3% and 13% of their already limited annual catch of tuna according to Sky News.
