E2 Advocacy Projects: Creating a National Ocean Policy Objective Like a Clean Air Act for our air or a Clean Water Act for our water, we need a national policy that will offer landmark protection for our oceans. One major obstacle to protecting our oceans is the fact that they are currently governed by a mix of more than 140 laws and 20 different agencies. From overfishing and pollution, to warming temperatures and ocean acidification - a national ocean policy strengthens the government's ability to tackle these challenges.
Background Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force: Interim Report
OCEANS-21 summary by the Congressional Research Service
E2 In Action: Magnuson-Stevens Act 2006
NRDC Action Center alert: Urge Co-sponsorship of OCEANS-21.
H.R. 21 Text of bill from the U.S. Government Printing Office website
News articles Will search for oil off coast hurt sea life? - Feb 2, 2009, The Charlotte Observer
Obama launches new oceans policy - Jul 19, 2010, AFP
'Historic' alliance of fishers to rally for rollback of overfishing mandate - Feb 24, 2010, E&E Daily
Billions of Dollars and Millions of Jobs at Stake in Obama Ocean Policy - Sep 21, 2009, Public News Service
Single ocean policy a tall order - Sep 21, 2009, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Obama task force calls for National Ocean Council - Sep 17, 2009, Associated Press
Research finds higher ocean acidification off Alaska that could threaten fishing industry - Aug 24, 2009, Associated Press
Alaska weighs in on new federal oceans policy - Aug 21, 2009, Los Angeles Times
A New Focus on Ocean Conservation - Aug 16, 2009, The New York Times
Scientists: Global warming has already changed oceans - Jun 9, 2009,
Obama launches ocean protection plan - Jun 12, 2009, Reuters
Ban on salmon fishing a blow to California, Oregon - Apr 9, 2009, Reuters
Seeding the Ocean - Mar 31, 2009, Audubon Magainze
Fishermen brace for new ban on ocean salmon - Mar 5, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle
Overfishing imperils ocean life, study says - Mar 3, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle
Scramble for the seabed - Dec 30, 2008, The Economist
Bush Administration to Withdraw Controversial Environmental Review Proposal - Dec 19, 2008, Pew Environment Group
Governors' plan aims to make ocean healthier - Jul 29, 2008, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
New Rules Could Save Our Fish - Jul 16, 2008, This Is Fly
Study Finds Humans' Effect on Oceans Comprehensive - Feb 15, 2008, The Washington Post
Study Sees 'Global Collapse' of Fish Species - Nov 3, 2006, The New York Times
Break the cycle of mismangement - Apr 10, 2006, Portland Press Herald
U.S. Ocean Fish Recovery: Staying the Course - Aug 5, 2005, Carl Safina for Science Magazine
Editorials, Op-eds & Blogs Nat'l Ocean Policy and MSP will Improve Protection, Planning and Disaster Prevention - Jun 8, 2010, Leila Monroe, Switchboard
No Need to Drill Offshore - Apr 2, 2010, Frances Beinecke
Health of our oceans calls for a unified national policy - Jan 13, 2010, Carl Safina, Newsday
Restoring Our Ocean Riches - Aug 26, 2009, Poder 360
A Real Fish Story - Aug 23, 2009, The New York Times
Opposition's Poll Demonstrates Strong Majority Support for Ocean Protection and MPAs - Jul 31, 2009, Leila Monroe, Switchboard
Troubled Oceans - May 31, 2008, The New York Times
E2 Statements/Letters E2 Letter Supporting the National Endowment for the Oceans Act (S. 3641) (Jul 26, 2010)
E2 Letter to Ocean Policy Task Force (Oct 15, 2009)
Support Letter to Oppose Whiting Provision in MSA (Jan 31, 2006)
Letter to New England Senators (Sep 28, 2005) urging them not to support rollbacks to the MSA and other key ocean policies.
Letter to Massachusetts Congress members (Sep 28, 2005) urging them not to support rollbacks to the MSA and other key ocean policies.
Letter to Governor Scwarzenegger: Oceans Protections (May 26, 2004)
Related publications Fact Sheet - Coastal Jobs Creation Act (HR 4914)
Obama's Ocean Plan Will Help Stop Ocean Sprawl
Obama Announces Ocean Protection Plan
Addressing Ocean Impacts in New Climate Legislation
Protecting Our Ocean and Coastal Economies: Avoid Unnecessary Risks from Offshore Drilling
Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem
Safeguarding our Oceans in a Warming World: Global Warming and Ocean Acidification
OCEANS-21 Fact Sheet by NRDC
Offshore drilling threatens our beaches, oceans, coastal communities, and marine life
NEPA: An Ocean Conservation Success Story
Testimony by Leon Panetta before House Fisheries, Wiildlife, Oceans Subcommittee
Testimony by Sarah Chassis on OCEANS-21
Do Fishing Regulations Lead to More Accidents?
U.S. Ocean Action Plan
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea Fact Sheet
Restoring Fisheries: A New England Perspective
Fish Economics: The Benefits of Rebuilding U.S. Ocean Fish Populations
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report
Pew Oceans Commission report
The Economics of Ocean Fisheries
President Obama has announced a National Oceans Policy by adopting the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force . This policy will strengthen ocean governance and coordination.
Jul 1, 2011 - The National Ocean Council brought together more than 500 Federal, state, tribal, and local government representatives, indigenous community leaders, and other stakeholders and members of the public from across the country for a National Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) Workshop in Washington, DC
Jul 19, 2010 - President Obama announces a National Oceans Policy.
Dec 14, 2009 - The Ocean Policy Task Force releases its interim framework .
Sep 10, 2009 - The Ocean Policy Task Force releases its interim report with details about the national ocean policy.
Jun 12, 2009 - President Obama issues a memorandum establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, charged with developing a recommendation for a national ocean policy.
Jan 12, 2007 - President Bush signs the 2006 MSA Reauthorization bill.
Dec 17, 2004 - Upon recommendations of the Pew and U.S. Commission reports, President George W. Bush issues an executive order creating a cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy.
E2 Supports the National Ocean Policy and Opposes Restrictions on its Implementation (Apr 18, 2012)
E2 PNW Supports Full Funding of the National Ocean Policy programs (Jun 16, 2011)
E2 Supports the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Mar 7, 2011)
E2 Supports the National Endowment for the Oceans Act (Jul 26, 2010)
E2 Supports the Adoption of a Strong National Ocean Policy (Feb 12, 2010)
