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Pew Commission Calls for Creation of Independent Oceans Agency
Washington D.C., June 19, 2003 - The Pew Oceans Commission released a report, America's Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change, calling for an immediate reform of U.S. ocean policy in order to reverse the decline of ocean wildlife and the collapse of ocean ecosystems.
Characterizing current national ocean policy as a fragmented "hodgepodge of narrow laws" administered by a plethora of agencies, the Pew Commission proposed the establishment of a unified national ocean policy directed by an independent oceans agency. The report also calls for the development of a national ocean research and monitoring strategy, beginning with a doubling of the $755 million annual federal budget for ocean research. "As the nature, scale and complexity of threats to marine ecosystems have increased, our investment in ocean science and research has stagnated," the report says.
The Pew Oceans Commission cited several critical threats to the oceans, including coastal development, invasive species, and degradation of coastal regions due to increased nutrient runoff, non-point pollution, over-fishing and habitat destruction.
The commission identified five general objectives to address the decline of ocean ecosystems. These include establishing a comprehensive and coordinated oceans governance policy, protecting important ocean and coastal habitats, developing a sustainable fisheries policy, controlling pollution, and developing sustainable marine aquaculture.
The Pew Oceans Commission report outlines recommendations to achieve these objectives, such as passing a National Ocean Policy Act, removing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) from the Department of Commerce and bringing other federal ocean programs together to create an independent federal ocean agency, and establishing coordinating councils to implement and enforce ocean policies. In addition to recommending a doubling of funding for ocean science, the report provides guidelines on fisheries reform and protection of coastal and ocean waters, recommendations for developing an institution to provide independent scientific oversight of ocean and coastal management, and suggestions for expanding the scope of ocean educational programs.
Leon E. Panetta, Chairman of the Pew Oceans Commission and former Chief of Staff for President Clinton, said that he hoped the panel's recommendations would be taken up by the federally mandated U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, which was created by Congress in 2000 to study all marine-related federal policies.
The report was praised by several members of Congress at a press conference hosted by the House Oceans Caucus. Representative Tom Allen (D-ME) commended the Pew Oceans Commission for, "bringing the challenging management, governance, pollution, and other issues to the forefront," and noted that the report will provide important guidance as Congress establishes a more focused ocean policy. Several Representatives noted that the oceans are an issue that span political parties and can foster national and international collaboration.
"Congress and the public we serve need this report. It is important not just as a wake-up call that we are risk of destroying one of our great environmental frontiers," noted Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). "Based upon science and common sense, the report also invites our attention to both problems and solutions in an approach as direct as it is compelling."
Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) observed that with the release of the Pew Oceans Commission report and the forthcoming U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report in the same year, Congress and the Bush Administration have an unprecedented opportunity to implement dramatic reforms in ocean policy.
The Pew Oceans Commission is an independent group composed of scientists, fishermen, conservationists, business leaders, and elected officials. The report marks the conclusion of the Commission's three-year, nationwide study on ocean issues. The full text of the report, America's Living Oceans, is available online at www.pewoceans.org.
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