President Bush has created the world’s largest marine reserve. Mr. Bush acted to protect an area of the Pacific Ocean that is roughly the size of California. More than 7,000 species of marine life live in a chain of reefs and shoals stretching nearly 2,000 kilometers northwest from the Hawaiian Islands. That ecosystem is now a protected marine area where commercial and sport fishing will be phased out over the next five years. Visitors wishing to dive or take photographs must have a permit and no one will be allowed to remove animals or minerals. President Bush signs a proclamation on the Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument President Bush says the move protects a precious natural resource and establishes an important place for research and learning. ‘The oceans contain countless natural treasures,’ he said. ‘They carry much of our trade. They provide food and recreation for billions of people. We have a responsibility, a solemn responsibility, to be good stewards of the oceans and creatures who inhabit them.’ The islands include endangered Hawaiian monk seals and threatened green sea turtles as well as a rookery for 14 million seabirds. […]