Marking the 1-year anniversary of the establishment of the nation’s new ocean policy to advance U.S. economic, security, and environmental interests, commercial and recreational groups from around the country today issued the following statements of continued support for this effort.
NATIONAL OCEAN POLICY COALITION
“Our new policy for the nation’s oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes is delivering meaningful results to the benefit of both our economy and environment. From efforts to encourage data and information sharing and improve collaboration among agencies and with states and the private sector, to promoting public-private partnerships, the policy is helping to ensure a future in which the American people can continue to receive the diverse array of economic, recreational, and societal benefits that the oceans provide for generations to come.”
-Jack Belcher, Managing Director, National Ocean Policy Coalition
AGRICULTURAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION
“ARA continues to strongly support the federal government’s efforts to implement the nation’s new ocean policy, which is helping to promote a more streamlined process for coordination with states and private industry. ARA has long supported protecting our inland waterways, oceans and coastlines in a more a cooperative manner, as this approach will ensure a clean, healthy ocean while allowing agricultural retailers to maintain a profitable business environment, adapt to a changing world, and preserve their freedom to operate.”
-Richard Gupton, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Counsel, Agricultural Retailers Association
ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES
“Thanks to the nation’s new ocean policy established last year, there is less confusion and uncertainty among stakeholders and the various state and federal agencies with ocean jurisdiction. The Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries welcomes this change in approach, which will help preserve and enhance the heritage and economic value of fishing to California coastal communities.
-Kathy Fosmark, Co-Chair, Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
AT-SEA PROCESSORS ASSOCIATION
“The Trump Admnistration’s 2018 Ocean Policy Executive Order is delivering for our nation’s fishing industry. In its first year it facilitated greater information sharing among federal science agencies to foster understanding about changing ocean and atmospheric conditions, optimized federal spending on key science priorities, and helped ensure that fishermen don’t face needless additional federal mandates that drive up compliance costs.
“The United States has perhaps the most successful fishery management regime in the world. Federal fisheries in the U.S. 200-mile zone off Alaska and the U.S. West Coast are recognized internationally as among the world’s most sustainable. Regional decision makers, which includes a collaboration of state, federal, and public interests, are delivering forward-reaching, ecosystem-based fisheries management that considers not just fishing effects on target species, but on the environment as a whole. The Trump administration ocean policy direction embraces the existing successful, science-based management approach of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, our nation’s principal fisheries statute.”
-Matt Tinning, Director, Sustainability and Public Affairs, At-sea Processors Association
DIRECTED SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES, INC.
“Last year the Directed Sustainable Fisheries clients were happy to see the Obama administrative bureaucratic effort called the 2010 National Ocean Policy rescinded with the 2018 Executive Order by President Donald Trump. This wise effort by President Trump is a better alternative for gathering needed data, and increasing communications with members of the various fishing sectors across the United States. DSF clients look forward to more reliable scientific data gathering in cooperation with all fisheries user groups leading to sustainable resources for US citizens, and the world.”
-Russell Howard Hudson, President, Directed Sustainable Fisheries, Inc.
FAMILY FARM ALLIANCE
“A year ago, the President removed a burden on Western businesses and citizens by vacating the 2010 National Ocean Policy Executive Order. The previous policy set forth yet another level of federal management and oversight that could have impacted family farmers in the mostly inland West, not just ocean and coastal communities. We continue to strongly support this new policy, which minimizes the potential for negative impacts on the Western interests we represent.”
-Dan Keppen, Executive Director, Family Farm Alliance
GULF ENERGY STRONG TEAM
“The Gulf Energy Strong Team continues to support the new federal ocean policy that was established one year ago today. In addition to removing a burdensome and overreaching initiative that threatened the U.S. economy, American jobs, and critical energy infrastructure development, including our local offshore service companies and local economies along the Gulf Coast, the Executive Order rightly emphasizes engaging stakeholders and ensuring reasonable, multi-use, and effective ocean policies that benefit all ocean users and remove barriers to effective coordination.”
-Lori LeBlanc, Executive Director, Gulf Energy Strong Team
LONG ISLAND COMMERCIAL FISHING ASSOCIATION
“For years, a poorly designed national ocean policy kept US commercial fishermen, the nation’s oldest industry, from having true input at the table. That is why we remain strongly supportive of the new policy established last year, which is a breath of fresh air that promotes engagement with industries like ours for whom the ocean is our place of work.”
-Bonnie Brady, Executive Director, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHARTERBOAT OPERATORS
“On the one-year anniversary of the Executive Order Regarding the Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, and Environmental Interests of the United States, NACO continues to strongly support this new policy, which removed an unnecessary regulatory threat on recreational and commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico and around the country. With this new federal policy now firmly in place, our industry today is much better equipped to focus efforts on meeting our core objectives: generating economic activity and providing recreational and commercial opportunities and enjoyment of our natural resources. “
-Capt. Bob Zales, II, President, National Association of Charterboat Operators
NATIONAL FISHERIES INSTITUTE
“After years of promoting policies that were out of step with science-based sustainability efforts and imposing costly layers of bureaucracy, the federal government has ushered in a new and more effective ocean policy that is helping to ensure a fairer and more transparent process when it comes to our oceans.”
-John Connelly, President, National Fisheries Institute
NATIONAL OCEAN INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION
“One year after issuance of the Executive Order addressing policy for the nation’s oceans, NOIA is pleased to see the positive results that have emerged since the new policy was established. From encouragement of productive partnerships to recognition that a wide variety of ocean uses contribute to increased economic, environmental, and energy security for America, U.S. ocean policy is on a positive track that can help secure job creation, economic activity, and energy development.”
-Randall Luthi, President, National Ocean Industries Association
NORTH CAROLINA WATERMEN UNITED
“As we said last year when the new ocean policy was announced, the fishermen in our country are the most regulated in the world. This policy removed unnecessary confusion and layers of bureaucracy and is allowing NCWU to continue to Protect the Freedom to Fish for all fishermen.”
-Britton Shackelford, Board Member, North Carolina Watermen United
RECREATIONAL FISHING ALLIANCE
“The new federal ocean policy established one year ago today marked a positive step forward for recreational fishing and recreational fishing businesses. In seeking to address ocean issues in a truly bottom-up manner and eliminating extra layers of unnecessary bureaucracy and uncertainty, the policy continues to help restore additional stability to our industry and promote job growth in the fishing sectors.”
-Jim Donofrio, Executive Director, Recreational Fishing Alliance
SEAFREEZE LTD.
“Seafreeze Ltd. continues to support the Trump Administration’s revocation of Obama NOP and the greater certainty that has provided for our business, and we look forward to continuing to engage the Administration to ensure recognition and prioritization of commercial fishing as a domestic food source and export opportunity as it considers ocean policies moving forward.”
-Meghan Lapp, Fisheries Liaison, Seafreeze Ltd.
WESTERN ENERGY ALLIANCE
“Western Energy Alliance is pleased to continue its strong support for America’s new ocean policy. When there’s no limit to federal power, everything can be controlled. Last year’s executive order establishing this new policy justly overturned a vast federal regulatory overreach that provided another tool for bureaucrats to control development far inland.”
-Kathleen Sgamma, President, Western Energy Alliance
