Jack Sobel, CMC's Director of Ecosystems Statement on President Clinton's Announcement of the U.S. Virgin Islands National Monument

The Ocean Conservancy
Thursday, 18 January 2001

Washington, D.C. - Today, President Clinton's landmark extension of National Monument status to important coral reef areas in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), by expanding the boundaries of the current Buck Island National Monument and creating the new U.S. Virgin Island Coral Reef National Monument, provides a tremendous opportunity on which to build comprehensive and lasting protection for the special marine resources of the Virgin Islands.

The Center for Marine Conservation has long recognized the importance of the tropical marine ecosystems surrounding these islands and is strongly committed to achieving comprehensive protection for them. Over the last several years, CMC has increased this commitment, and will be further ratcheting up our local efforts through the imminent opening of a new field office in the U.S.V.I. Recent CMC initiatives in the Virgin Islands include spearheading a workshop on marine protected areas in conjunction with the Coral Reef Task Force meeting on St. Croix; advancing conservation measures to protect marine resources, including the Red Hind Marine Conservation Area, through the Caribbean Fishery Management Council; and creating a recreational diver program to monitor the condition of the reef ecosystems.

The new USVI Coral Reef National Monument and expansion of the existing Buck Island National Monument should contribute to an integrated and comprehensive approach to conserving the islands' marine resources, developing an effective network of marine protected areas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and surrounding Caribbean waters, and fully protecting their unique marine systems, including valuable coral reefs. Furthermore, this enhanced application of national monument status to marine areas recognizes the value of our marine treasures and the need to protect their integrity as part of our nation's legacy.

CMC's new Virgin Islands office will help to achieve these goals by building broad local and public support for marine conservation, collaborating with all appropriate federal and local institutions to enhance the effectiveness of their authorities to conserve marine resources, applying sound science in support of conservation, and striving for strong and effective implementation.

This Administration has created a momentum in ocean conservation that must continue through the next Administration and beyond. We look forward to working with them to ensure that it does.

Jack Sobel
Director of Ecosystem Programs

For more information, or to contact The Ocean Conservancy, see their website at: www.oceanconservancy.org