The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, A World Treasure
Contact the NWHI Network at 548-3474, to order the free, 47 page, full-color booklet:
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, A World Treasure
Publication of this report was made possible through the generous support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Marisla Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The opinions expressed in this analysis are those of the authors, the Pacific Fisheries Coalition and the Hawaii Audubon Society and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.
Introduction
The NWHI's 1,200 miles of islands, pinnacles, atolls, reefs, seamounts, banks, and shoals are home to a multitude of unique natural ecosystems that support more than 7,000 species, 25% of which are endemic, and are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful and unspoiled places left on earth. The living coral reef colonies of the NWHI, a spectacular underwater landscape covering thousands of square miles, are some of the healthiest and most undisturbed coral reefs remaining on the planet. The archaeological sites are among the Hawaiian archipelago's most ancient.
Recognizing its value, in 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt placed Midway Atoll "under the jurisdiction and control of the Navy Department" to stop the "wanton destruction of birds that breed on Midway," the first portion of the NWHI to be given special legal protection by the federal government. In 1909 President Roosevelt set aside the "islets and reefs" of the NWHI as the "Hawaiian Islands Reservation" under the Department of Agriculture.
yellowmargin moray puhi
Eventually, the Reservation was moved to the Department of the Interior and became the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge (Hawaiian Islands NWR) under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In 1988, the USFWS established a National Wildlife Refuge on Midway Atoll, and in 1996, the U.S. Navy conveyed its jurisdiction and control over Midway to the USFWS. In 2000, in an effort to enhance and consolidate the protection of the marine portion of this magnificent ecosystem, President William J. Clinton, by executive order, set aside waters from 3 to 50 nautical miles (nm) as the NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (Reserve) to be managed by the National Ocean Service (NOS), and mandated that the Secretary of Commerce "initiate the process to designate the Reserve as a national marine sanctuary." In 2005 the Governor of the State of Hawaii designated state waters in the NWHI as a State Marine Refuge, prohibiting all commercial fishing in the area. The State also has jurisdiction over emergent lands at Kure Atoll, which it designated as a State Wildlife Sanctuary in 1993.
The Refuges and Reserve protect the foraging grounds of the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi), nesting Hawaiian green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), and a multitude of migratory seabirds, shorebirds, endemic land birds, plants and insects that make this archipelago their home. Except for Midway's Sand Island, Tern Island, and Laysan Island, the entire area is inhabited only by wildlife and seasonal research camps.
Hawaiian house site
Nihoa Island
The NWHI have great cultural significance to Native Hawaiians. Numerous archaeological artifacts found on two of the islands establish a close relationship with the Hawaiian culture, with evidence of both prehistoric seasonal and permanent settlements, as well as use of the area for religious purposes. More than 80 cultural sites are known, including habitation terraces, bluff shelters, religious sites, agricultural terraces, and burial caves.
Nihoa, the nearest island to the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) in the northwestern chain, is made up of rugged cliffs and steep valleys and provided a home for as many as 175 Hawaiians between A.D. 1000 and A.D. 1700. Artifacts on Necker Island (Mokumanamana), the next island up the chain, indicate the island was also used in prehistoric times, primarily for religious purposes. Both Nihoa and Mokumanamana Islands are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
green sea turtle
More recently, the NWHI played a significant role in U.S. history. Midway Atoll was a connecting link in the first around-the-world communications cable laid in 1903. The atoll also provided a base for the Pan American Flying Clippers beginning in 1935. During World War II, Midway Atoll became a major United States military base. The atoll was attacked twice, once on December 7, 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and again during the pivotal Battle of Midway in June 1942, which turned the tide of the War in the Pacific in America's favor.
Designation as an internationally-recognized World Heritage Site will help preserve in perpetuity the unique and fragile ecosystems, habitats and communities of flora and fauna in the NWHI, as well as areas of traditional Hawaiian cultural significance. World Heritage status will also help protect several endangered species and the many valuable nurseries and spawning grounds of a whole host of native sub-tropical fish and marine invertebrate species, which may help replenish depleted populations in the MHI...
Contact the NWHI Network at 548-3474, to order the free, 47 page, full-color booklet:
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, A World Treasure