Lolo requests face-to-face about NOAA proposal (American Samoa)

Samoa News ^ | 4/16/2013 | Fili Sagapolutele

[coconutt2000]

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has raised objections with the federal government over a proposal that would list as threatened and endangered certain coral species found in the waters of American Samoa.

He has also called for a face-to-face meeting with federal officials involved in this proposed action prior to making any final decision. According to the federal portal [www.regulations.gov], Apr. 6 was the last day to accept comments on the proposal.

The governor's objections and his call for a meeting were outlined in a letter late last month to Rebecca Blank, the acting secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its offices.

Lolo said he was writing to “object” to NOAA Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) proposed listing of 66 coral species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), which was announced in a notice last December.

Of the total number of coral species proposed, 43 would be listed as threatened and three would be listed as endangered in the waters of American Samoa, said Lolo, who noted that after careful examination of available materials and communication with various scientists “we are raising... issues against” the proposal.

First, he said, “identities of the listed species are in doubt” and “we have documentation that two of the hard coral species in American Samoa that have been proposed to be listed as endangered have been misidentified.”

He also says the proposed list of threatened species “needs additional scrutiny” and correct species identification is a basic requirement under ESA. “At the very least, we need to have a thorough survey of coral species to be conducted by other experts,” Lolo said.

[coconutt2000]

Opposing the political and arbitrary use of the Endangered Species Act to expand Federal oversight and powers.

Gov. Lolo also voiced concern over the voting process conducted by the Biological Review Team, saying that the process “seems to be highly subjective” and the voting results might have stemmed from the individual scientists perception of extinction rather than solid scientific data.

[coconutt2000]

I have to comment that it is nice to be able to post a story about American Samoa and our government that does not involve Federal scrutiny and criminal investigations.

[mosesdapoet]

It would be usefull if there was an explanation of the consequeces when coral is declared a “protected species”.

[coconutt2000]

It’s sort of the same consequences with every other species that has been declared endangered via the endangered species act.

1) Development not allowed.
2) Recreational activities not allowed.
3) Subsistence fishing and foraging not allowed.
4) Engaging in any activity that might conceivably harm the protected species in anyway.
5) Expand Federal oversight and jurisdiction over something or over an area which was previously governed and enforced via local government and law enforcement.