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The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 requires federal agencies to examine the environmental effects of their proposed actions. On behalf of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy is preparing this Draft EIS/OEIS to assess the potential environmental effects associated with the proposed military activities. The Navy is the lead agency for preparation of this Draft EIS/OEIS. The Office of the Secretary of Defense directed the Navy to establish a Joint Guam Program Office that serves as the NEPA proponent of the proposed actions. A number of federal agencies were invited to be cooperating agencies in the preparation of this Draft EIS/OEIS. These agencies have either jurisdiction or technical expertise for certain components of the proposed actions or a potentially affected resource. The agencies that have accepted the invitation to participate as cooperating agencies are United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Transportation Federal Highways Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, U.S. Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Air Force.

Following the tsunami of Sept. 29 2009, UNESCO International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) was coordinated by the New South Wales University’s Australian Tsunami Research Centre (ATRC) and the University of the South Pacific arrived in Apia Samoa on October 12, 2009. They were joined by the Government personnel to form the Marine Environmental Assessment Team (MEAT). The team consisted of members from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Joyce Ah Leong, Mikaele Faamai); Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) (Juney Ward, Pulea Ifopo); Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) (Lui Bell); The University of the South Pacific (Ed Lovell; Posa Skelton); Vassar College, USA (Prof. Brian McAdoo).

The tsunami waves that swept through parts of the Samoa Islands on 29 September 2009 brought a lot of marine life with them, portions of which were stranded on land when the waves subsided. In addition to the reef fishes of varying sizes, marine turtles, a few sharks and dolphins were also stranded. Three dolphins were reportedly stranded but rescued and released by villagers with two more that were left on land dead and were buried. This report focuses on marine turtles and attempts to give an account on the number and fate of marine turtles that were stranded on land after the tsunami waves.

On 2 April 2007 a large earthquake and tsunami hit the western Solomon Islands causing varying degrees of damage and disruption to coastal communities. In order to assist with prioritisation of assistance to affected communities, the WorldFish Center and WWF-Solomon Islands (WWF-SI) combined to carry out an immediate assessment of impacts on selected villages within the affected area. This assessment was focused on immediate damage to and needs of the coastal fisheries, including environment and infrastructure, though the opportunity was taken to assess more general damage and threats to the long term, sustainable recovery of coastal fisheries.

Vatukarasa lies within the province of Nadroga, Navosa and Tikina (district) of Conua. It is situated along the Coral Coast, which is on the Southwestern side of Viti Levu, the largest island of Fiji. According to the 1996 census, Vatukarasa village had a total population of 275 people with 39 households. Data collected in 2002 by Bureau of Statistics showed that the current population is around 450 people with 74 families. The villagers rely on subsistence farming of crops (cassava, taro, taro leaves, fruit) and livestock (cows, pigs, chicken) as well as fishing (fin-fish, sea urchins, octopus, shellfish) for daily sustenance. Farming is done mainly by men and fishing by both men and women. Men usually spear fish on the reef crest while women and children fish on the reef flat and inner lagoon using their hands and hand-lines.

The live rock collection site for Water Life Exporters Fiji (WLEF) Ltd is located at Kalokolevu Village along the coast, 15km off Suva on the mainland Viti Levu, Fiji. Water Life International has been collecting live rock in this area for the last 5 years. WLEF has a fishing agreement with the custodian for 15 years from ? This is a baseline monitoring of their collection site.

The Pacific first became a part of the luxury aquarium trade in the 1970s. Thirty years later, the total value of aquarium exports from the region is between US$40 and US$60 million—accounting for about 10-15% of the global trade—and the aquarium trade is becoming an important source of income and employment for local communities in the Pacific. For example, in Fiji alone, it provides employment for 600 people and fisheries revenue second only to tuna. Today, the activity has spread to over 13 Pacific islands countries and territories, finding its source in unique coral reef habitats. It has even come to some of the most remote places (such as Kiritimati Island in Kiribati), where there are a number of rare or endemic fish species not found in South East Asia, the major competitor. There are concerns that extractive wild-capture practices are causing damage to marine environments. But evidence suggests that coral reef resources are resilient and that the trade could be managed sustainably to provide Pacific islands communities with a continuing livelihood. Tony Nahacky from Aquarium Fish (Fiji) Ltd has been harvesting corals and fish from the same area around Pacific Harbour for 24 years.

A rapid assessment of the environmental impacts of the 29 September tsunami was conducted by a multi-agency team from 3 to 14 October, 2009. Fourteen “green” and 10 “brown” environmental variables were selected and measured based on the experience of the survey team and similar reports from elsewhere. During a tour of the affected area on Upolu by car and on foot those “assessable” variables were scored “high” (over two thirds affected), “medium” (over one third, less than two thirds affected), “low” (less than a third affected) or zero (unaffected). Manono and Savaii were surveyed by air with the former showing evidence of some damage and the later apparently none or very little. The most affected areas in Upolu were villages in the Aleipata, Lepa and Falealili districts with the most obvious indicators of the tsunami’s impact being solid waste (sometimes resulting from the complete destruction of a village), erosion of the beach and fore-shore and the (expected) impact on marine resources. Other environmental variables assessed also showed similar patterns. Impacts on a wharf/dry dock facility are also described (including lost fuel drums) as are the possible environmental implications of new settlements created by displaced persons (mainly revolving around sanitation, drainage and water supply).

The role of fishing as a central and organizing force for communities in American Samoa has undergone dramatic changes over the past 50 years or more. The islands’ population has more than tripled over that time period, with a steady shift from a largely subsistence-oriented economy to a cash-based economy. Fishing events such as the annual atule and palolo harvests continue to organize and mobilize many villages, but a smaller percent of American Samoans are taking part in these activities today, and the role of fishing as a central aspect of community within American Samoan life and culture has become less prominent over time. Fishing and marine resources are universally considered to be important aspects of fa’a Samoa, the Samoan way of life, but access to cash income and ready availability of food imports have made American Samoans less inclined to engage in fishing.