4:06/05. CORAL REEF RESTORATION LEGISLATION CLEARS
KEY HOUSE COMMITTEE: The Coral Reef & Coastal Marine
Conservation Act (HR 2272), introduced by Representative Mark Kirk
(R-IL), passed unanimously on 1 August through the House
International Relations Committee. The bill is designed to reduce debt
owed to the United States by Caribbean and Latin countries under the
provision that the money will instead be used towards a debt-for-nature
swap or a debt buyback to be used to support activities to conserve,
maintain, and restore the country's coral reefs and other coastal marine
resources. This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and is
part of former president George Bush's Enterprise for the Americas. For
the full text of HR 2272 search at: http://thomas.loc.gov.
In addition to federal legislation aimed at protecting coral reefs,
concerns have been raised about the impacts fish traps may be having on
these marine ecosystems. In Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands snapper, grouper, and other edible reef resources are harvested
via 2-foot-by-4-foot wire cages. According to ReefKeeper International,
in order to be effective, these traps need to be set near coral reef habitat,
however up to 8,000 traps are set directly onto the coral, damaging or
destroying up to 64,000 square feet of coral each year. Meetings with
the appropriate regulatory agencies are set for August and September to
discuss the possibility of setting buffer zones between reefs and traps
and restricting trap strings to 2 traps each. For more information, go to: http://www.reefkeeper.org/REEFALERTS/RA-FTrapUSC/
PetitionFTrapUSC.html.
KEY HOUSE COMMITTEE: The Coral Reef & Coastal Marine
Conservation Act (HR 2272), introduced by Representative Mark Kirk
(R-IL), passed unanimously on 1 August through the House
International Relations Committee. The bill is designed to reduce debt
owed to the United States by Caribbean and Latin countries under the
provision that the money will instead be used towards a debt-for-nature
swap or a debt buyback to be used to support activities to conserve,
maintain, and restore the country's coral reefs and other coastal marine
resources. This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and is
part of former president George Bush's Enterprise for the Americas. For
the full text of HR 2272 search at: http://thomas.loc.gov.
In addition to federal legislation aimed at protecting coral reefs,
concerns have been raised about the impacts fish traps may be having on
these marine ecosystems. In Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands snapper, grouper, and other edible reef resources are harvested
via 2-foot-by-4-foot wire cages. According to ReefKeeper International,
in order to be effective, these traps need to be set near coral reef habitat,
however up to 8,000 traps are set directly onto the coral, damaging or
destroying up to 64,000 square feet of coral each year. Meetings with
the appropriate regulatory agencies are set for August and September to
discuss the possibility of setting buffer zones between reefs and traps
and restricting trap strings to 2 traps each. For more information, go to: http://www.reefkeeper.org/REEFALERTS/RA-FTrapUSC/
PetitionFTrapUSC.html.
