Obama designates two new marine sanctuaries in U.S.
The White House proposed on Monday the designation of two new National Marine Sanctuaries - the first chosen in 15 years - as part of President Barack Obama's efforts to protect the environment.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has identified a marine sanctuary in the tidal waters of Maryland, and another in Wisconsin's Lake Michigan - both considered historically important and filled with shipwrecks.
The area in Wisconsin includes an 875-square mile area of Lake Michigan with waters extending from Port Washington to Two Rivers. It contains a collection of 39 known shipwrecks, 15 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mallows Bay-Potomac River in Maryland is a 14-square mile area of the tidal Potomac River. Nearly 200 vessels spanning from the Revolutionary War through the present are found in the area, including the remains of the largest "Ghost Fleet" of World War I wooden steamships built for the U.S. Emergency Fleet, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The sites were chosen by the public last year, after NOAA gave Americans the opportunity to nominate marine and Great Lakes areas as national sanctuaries for the first time in two decades. "The Mallows Bay and Lake Michigan new nominations demonstrate this new bottom-up approach, which ensures communities lead in identifying and protecting their valuable coastal and marine areas," said Holly Bamford, assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service performing the duties of the assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management.
Out of seven proposals, these two were selected and one other is still under review. A public comment period will remain open until Jan. 15.
To combat illegal fishing, the Obama administration also said it would launch Sea Scout, a global initiative to unite governments and stakeholders in fighting against unreported fishing. Participants will share information and technology to identify and prosecute illegal fishing groups.
NOAA will expand development of an application that detects lights and targets illegal fishing activities. The detection system will be implemented in Indonesia, the Philippines, and three other countries next year.