MCI Has a New MPA Enforcement Program

This is exciting.  The Marine Conservation Institute (MCI) has a new MPA Enforcement Program.

I particularly enjoyed reading their Review of Threats and Law Enforcement Issues facing the United States’ Pacific Marine Monuments.  Here’s one bit I thought quite interesting:

There are currently no enforceable regulations that prohibit commercial fishing by US vessels in the Marianas Trench, Rose Atoll, and Pacific Remote Islands National Monuments, even though the proclamations immediately prohibited such fishing in January 2009. Furthermore, the USFWS penalty schedule for wildlife infractions may not be sufficient to deter illegal activity in marine waters under USFWS management. Finally, current provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) limit the effectiveness of US Coast Guard law enforcement activities in the Pacific Islands region.