Final Rule Regarding Gold Corals Harvest in the U.S. Pacific Islands

Final Rule |

Pacific Islands

Summary

Colonies of gold coral in the deep-sea. — Outside Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, scientists recorded colonies of Hawaiian Gold Coral (Kulamanamana haumeaae). Gold corals grow very slowly and the large sizes of the colonies seen suggest that some of the colonies could be nearly 2,000 years old. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

NOAA Fisheries is extending the current moratorium on the harvest of gold corals in federal waters across the U.S. Pacific Islands (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaiʻi, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas). The extension will be for five years—through June 30, 2028. This final rule intends to prevent potential overfishing and allow time for more research on this slow-growing coral, to ensure any future harvest is sustainable.

Read the Federal Register notice and supporting documents

Federal Register

Final Rule (88 FR 88835, December 26, 2023)
Proposed Rule (88 FR 65356, September 22, 2023)