To: President Donald Trump
Stop US-Funded Coral Destruction in the Marshall Islands
Stop U.S. funding for the destruction of a living coral reef in the Marshall Islands for limestone fill!
Why is this important?
The U.S. FAA is funding an airport expansion project in the Marshall Islands that is dredging a living coral reef to get fill material. Coral reefs are important worldwide for food, recreation, erosion buffers, and more - this reef is worth much more alive than dead. Corals are already in precipitous declines globally and the U.S. should be directing money towards conservation efforts, not destruction.
Not only is this project in direct violation of Executive Order 13089 (Coral Reef Protection), the silt screen the contractors were required to use is non-functioning and smothering adjacent sections of the reef with sediments and the screen itself. The local EPA has a history of mining coral reefs and serious steps should be taken to avoid this issue in the future. Alternative fill materials are available and should be used over the destruction of this valuable ecosystem.
Other agencies (the Florida Deportment of State, for example) fine people for damaging and destroying coral (see the Florida Coral Reef Protection Act). Why is the FAA funding it? Please require the Department of State to apply the protection that is required by Executive Order 13089 and stop the U.S.-funded mining of a living coral reef.
Not only is this project in direct violation of Executive Order 13089 (Coral Reef Protection), the silt screen the contractors were required to use is non-functioning and smothering adjacent sections of the reef with sediments and the screen itself. The local EPA has a history of mining coral reefs and serious steps should be taken to avoid this issue in the future. Alternative fill materials are available and should be used over the destruction of this valuable ecosystem.
Other agencies (the Florida Deportment of State, for example) fine people for damaging and destroying coral (see the Florida Coral Reef Protection Act). Why is the FAA funding it? Please require the Department of State to apply the protection that is required by Executive Order 13089 and stop the U.S.-funded mining of a living coral reef.