May 19, 2023 — A proposal to turn large swaths of ocean into a protected marine sanctuary was met with pushback from residents concerned about the federal government taking more control over the waters of the Western Pacific.
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of National Marine Sanctuaries were at the Guam Museum in Hagåtña on Wednesday night to field questions and hear comments about the proposal. It would turn the reefs and waters around the area designated as “Pacific Remote Islands” into a sanctuary.
The Pacific Remote Islands comprise Baker, Howland and Jarvis Islands; Johnston, Wake and Palmyra Atolls; and Kingman Reef. NOAA officials said the area is home to some of the most diverse tropical marine life on the planet, including threatened and depleted species such as hawksbill sea turtles, giant clams and melon-headed whales.