A group of Native Hawaiian leaders have urged President Barack Obama to expand what's already one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. But the president of the Hawaii Longline Association said Friday the lobbying effort is using Hawaiian culture as an excuse to close off more waters to fishermen, AP reported. The dispute involves Papahanaumokuakea (pah-pah-HAH-now-moh-cuh-ah-cay-ah) Marine National Monument â€" a 140,000 square mile area of the Pacific where remote islands, atolls, islets and coral reefs serve as habitat for some of the world's most endangered species. The region is also a sacred place in the history, culture and cosmology of Native Hawaiians.
