Reef Ecosystem Reserve Seeks Advisory Council Members

Papahânaumokuâkea Marine National Monument. Courtesy photo.

NOAA’s Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is looking to fill multiple positions on its advisory council.

The advisory council is seeking applicants for the conservation alternate, research alternate, commercial fishing primary and native Hawaiian primary seats. The council ensures public participation in reserve management and provides advice to the superintendent, a NOAA release said.

“Community representatives on our advisory council are an extremely important part of our team,” said Athline Clark, NOAA’s superintendent for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. “Their input is an integral part of managing this special place.”

Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members or alternates should expect to serve a two or three-year term, or until a different advisory body is created pursuant to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument’s management plan, the release continued.

The advisory council consists of 28 primary and alternate voting members representing a variety of public interest groups. Such groups include conservation, education, research and ocean-related commercial and recreational activities, as well as the Native Hawaiian community.

It also includes one voting member appointed by the governor of Hawai‘i and 10 non-voting governmental seats representing the Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, Department of State, Marine Mammal Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Science Foundation, US Coast Guard, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Applications are due by Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019.

To receive an application kit, or for further information, contact Moani Pai, administrative officer, via email at Moani.Pai@noaa.gov or by phone at 808-933-8191. Application kits can also be downloaded at http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/new-about/council/apply/.

The reserve encompasses an area of the marine waters and submerged lands of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands extending approximately 1,200 nautical miles long and 100 nautical miles wide. The reserve is managed by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and the executive orders that established the reserve in 2000. The reserve is within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources. Follow NOAA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media channels.

On the Web:

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve: http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov 

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov