Nation’s First Marine Debris Action Plan Implemented in Hawaii
January 12, 2010
Derelict fishing gear snagged on a coral reef at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. (Credit: NOAA PIFSC CRED.)
Today, NOAA and several partners in Hawaii announced a comprehensive long-term plan to actively assess and remove plastics, derelict fishing gear, and other human sources of marine debris from coastal waters and coral reefs along the island chain. The plan, a first of its kind for the nation, will be instrumental in protecting the state’s coastal communities and marine life from the thousands of pounds of marine debris that wash ashore each year.
“For too long marine debris has marred the natural beauty of our ocean and threatened our marine ecosystem,” said Sen. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii. “I have long championed a coordinated effort to mitigate the many tons of debris that suffocate our coral, kill our fish and aquatic mammals and blanket our coastlines. This is a critical issue for our state and I am proud that Hawaii is taking the lead in finding a solution to this global problem.”
To read the entire article, please visit the NOAA website: www.noaanews.gov