Senator Boxer Introduces National Oceans Protection Act of 2005
Thursday, June 9, 2005
By: Tom McCann

The Ocean Conservancy welcomes legislation to implement recommendations of the U.S. and Pew Ocean Commissions

Washington DC Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today introduced the National Oceans Protection Act of 2005, the most comprehensive legislative response to the recommendations of the President’s U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the independent Pew Oceans Commission. The two Commissions recently concurred that immediate changes in U.S. ocean management are needed to reduce the dramatic impact that humans are having on our nation’s ocean ecosystems.

“Humans affect our ocean ecosystems in a number of ways: overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction all threaten to unbalance the natural marine environment,” said Roger Rufe, President of The Ocean Conservancy. “If we are going to be better stewards of our oceans we need to address these preventable forms of ecosystem damage before it is too late.”

The National Oceans Policy Act addresses a wide range of pressing issues in our oceans including: streamlining and coordinating the way we manage ocean resources, protecting marine wildlife, habitat and fisheries, and addressing critical water quality issues.

In addressing our ocean management system, the Act;

• Establishes an independent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, after a 2-year transition period to give the agency the fiscal and policy discretion it needs to protect America’s oceans.
  
• Creates the Council on Ocean Stewardship, a federal coordinating mechanism in the Executive Office of the President to conduct an annual review and analysis of funding, policy recommendation and programs for oceans.
  
• Establishes a certification process to assure that federal agencies comply with existing laws to protect the oceans and to make improvements to agency activities that are likely to significantly harm the marine environment.

“The National Oceans Protection Act will help us ensure that future generations inherit a healthy marine environment by making improvements to the ways that we manage our oceans today,” continued Rufe.

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission both recommended bold changes in the way we care for our oceans, changes that would streamline and coordinate the different federal and state offices that share responsibility for maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.