American Samoa has argued that the proposed federal ban on the removal of certain coral species will not lead to marine conservation, and contends that global climate change has been identified as the major threat to these marine species.

Additionally, ASG contends that the taking prohibition will also have a negative effect on the fishing culture in America Samoa.

The territory’s argument was made by Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga in a two-page in response to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is considering proposesd protective regulations to provide for the conservation of the 20 coral species recently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

According to NMFS information, 15 of the threatened species have been confirmed within the U.S. Pacific jurisdictional areas of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Pacific Remote Island areas and American Samoa — where eight of the threatened specifies are found.

Comments on the proposal are due Mar.16, according to an NMFS notice published on the federal portal, www.regulations.gov

In her Mar. 5 letter, Matagi-Tofiga says DMWR “does not want take prohibitions for the Territory’s corals species” listed as threatened because American Samoa already has local laws and regulations prohibiting the destruction or damage to any coral species, and any additional regulation will be an unnecessary burden to DMWR, without providing any benefit to the listed species.

Matagi-Tofiga also cited three specific regulations, which state: It is unlawful to willfully damage corals during fishing operations; It is unlawful to collect living corals in waters less than 60 feet; and it is unlawful to destroy fish habitats.

She pointed out that the taxonomy and identification of these corals is a standing issue that would make it difficult to enforce take prohibitions of specific ESA-listed coral species at the local level.

Further, there has been an issue in identifying corals, even among coral taxonomists, and it will be an unnecessary burden to local agencies to identify these corals and map out their exact locations.

(Taxonomy is the science of classification, but more strictly the classification of living and extinct organisms — i.e. biological classification, according to britannica.com)

She also argued that the take prohibitions “will impact the fishing culture here in the islands”, and noted that "at least one species is purportedly common in the reef flats in one village.”

“This is a concern because gleaning (walking reef flat areas) is especially highly-practiced by women and children to harvest fish and invertebrates for daily sustenance. The local communities also harvest the palolo every year, and it involves collection in the reef flats. This is a cultural tradition tinged with myths and legends,” she pointed out.

In her final argument, Matagi-Tofiga said communities gather schooling akule fish (Selar crumenophthalmus) on shallow reef areas.

“The palolo and akule harvests are two of the last remaining community fishing traditions that [are] integral to the maintenance of Samoan culture in which the distribution of fish follows Samoan protocols,” she said.

In closing she argued that the “establishment of take prohibitions will not ultimately lead to the conservation of these marine organisms. Global climate change has been identified as the major threat to these enlisted species.”

“Take prohibitions will hardly change the impact of global climate change. The unfolding bleaching here has already affected one of the listed threatened coral species,” she said and asked NMFS to consider these arguments against take prohibitions for these corals in American Samoa.