US, Chile to announce new marine sanctuaries at conference
Source: AP
By BRADLEY KLAPPER
VALPARAISO, Chile (AP) President Barack Obama will declare new marine sanctuaries in the tidal waters of Maryland and Wisconsin's Lake Michigan Monday, while Chile is expected to block off a more than 200,000 square miles of sea from commercial fishing and oil and gas exploration in an area of the Pacific Ocean near the world-famous Easter Island.
The announcements were to be made when top officials, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, attend an international conference on marine protection in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso on Monday. There, several nations also will outline plans for tracing seafood imports to combat overfishing and stem increased pollution in the ocean.
The new protected waters in the United States are the first to be designated as such in 15 years, the White House said in a statement.
The 875-square mile area of Lake Michigan extends from Port Washington to Two Rivers, containing a collection of 39 known shipwrecks. Fifteen are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2015, file photo, President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks in Emmitsburg, Md. The White House is expected to announce Monday, Oct. 5, the designation of two new marine sanctuaries in the tidal waters of Maryland and Wisconsins Lake Michigan, the first chosen in 15 years. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
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