Seaweb staff recently attended a panel discussion of the history of U.S. ocean policy since
key environmental regulations in the early 1970s held during Capital Hill Ocean Week.
On the celebration of World Oceans Day - June 8 – and in support
of a healthy, vibrant ocean, it is important to reflect on past challenges and
accomplishments that have shaped the ocean we know today.
Meg Caldwell of the Center for Ocean Solutions moderated the
discussion between panelists Michael Weber of Resources Law Group, Steve Roady
of Earthjustice, and Andrew Rosenberg of Conservation International.
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| Panelists Steve Roady and Andrew Rosenberg |
From the Cold War aspiration to create NOAA as the United
States’ “wet NASA” in the competition for dominance in ocean science and
technology to the fundamental shift from commercial to existence value for marine
mammals heralded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the panel spoke to the
changes in marine policies that form the backbone of current ocean governance.
Weber highlighted several key accomplishments made possible by government regulations,
such as publicly operated waste treatment plants, the end of ocean dumping, the
recovery of several key fish stocks, and the rehabilitation of endangered marine
mammals and sea turtles.
Rosenberg emphasized how contentious it can be to turn
sweeping language from Congress into quantifiable limits, such as in the recent
disagreements over what it means for a stock to be “overfished.” In addition, he
stressed the importance of separating scientific choices—based on fisheries’
statistics, for example— from societal choices dictated by the views, wants,
and needs of the people that may be unrelated to scientific data.
Changing societal views in order to build support for ocean
policies, according to Roady, can be achieved through education of American
citizens, and their ability to recognize the connection between daily actions
and the associated impact on marine environments.
“If the public understood that dumping fertilizers into a
river in Iowa affects the Gulf of Mexico, there may be the public support
needed for representatives to vote for protection policies,” Roady said.
