National Ocean Policy

After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill catastrophe this spring and summer, U.S. citizens have become aware of the environmental, social, and economic devastation caused when we put money over our environment. Although there is significantly less media coverage on the oil spill the past couple months, its effects are still visible and will cause problems for the fishing communities and health standards for both ocean and fishing systems into the future. While citizens were reminded of how vulnerable and important our oceans and waterways are, President Obama had already established an executive order on June 12, 2009 for the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force .

The Task Force recommends implementation under the guidance of a National Ocean Council, which establishes a “national policy to ensure the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of the ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources.” It also seeks to support sustainable coastal economies and uses, response to climate change, and calls for the development of coastal and marine spatial plans. On July 19, 2010 the Task Force submitted its Final Recommendations , which provide:

(1) our nations first ever National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes, (2) a strengthened governance structure to provide sustained…ocean, coastal, and Great Lake issues, (3) a targeted implementation strategy that identifies and prioritizes nine categories for action the U.S. should pursue, and (4) a framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning that establishes…an ecosystem based approach to address conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainable use of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.

The National Ocean Council (NOC), established under the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, is a dual Principal- and Deputy-level committee. It outlines the nine national priority objectives for implementation which include, ecosystem-based management, coastal and marine spatial planning, inform decisions and improve understanding, coordinate and support among Federal, State, tribal, local, and regional sectors, resiliency and adaptation to climate change and ocean acidification, regional ecosystem protection and restoration, water quality and sustainable practices on land, environmental stewardship needs in the arctic, and strengthening of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes observations, mapping, and infrastructure. Recent work that has been accomplished since this late September by the Ocean Council include meetings with stakeholders, nomination requests for the Governance Coordinating Committee, and the planning of a National Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning workshop.

The implementation of this order by the President is beneficial because we are moving in the right direction by focusing on the importance of our ocean ecosystems. After the Gulf oil spill this summer, it has become even more apparent how delicate the sustainability of our waterways is for the environment, society, and the economy. In protecting these waterways, we are better suited for fighting climate change and preventing both natural and man-made disasters from happening again. However, while there is a great benefit in the governments involvement, some believe that “many fisherman and others who depend on the oceans to make a living fear increased government regulations.”