Commission Leaders Say
Government Must Act Fast to Save Oceans
February 03, 2006 — By John Heilprin, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Leaders of two expert
commissions that spent years examining the nation's ocean policies give
the Congress, Bush administration and governors a near-failing grade for
not moving quickly enough to address hundreds of their recommendations.
The presidential panel chaired by James Watkins, a retired Navy admiral
and former energy secretary, recommended in September 2004 creating a
new trust fund, boosting research, improving fisheries management and
consolidating federal oversight among 212 recommendations in its
610-page final report, the first federal review of ocean policy in 35
years.
The privately funded Pew Oceans Commission chaired by Leon Panetta,
former President Clinton's White House chief of staff, reached many of
the same conclusions a year earlier.
Now, members of the former commissions have joined forces, saying the
government's "D+" effort so far could imperil the oceans' health and
abundance if the problems are left untended much longer.
"We're hopeful that 2006 is going to be a banner year for ocean policy
reform," Watkins said Thursday. "The crisis now is to prevent an
irreversible situation five to seven years from now, that will grow
exponentially if we don't get on these things."
Panetta agreed: "We're unified in saying to the administration and the
Congress, 'We've got to wake up and deal with this crisis facing our
oceans.' "
President Bush released an ocean action plan in December 2004 that
included creation of a White House committee to oversee ocean policies
and a proposal to cut air pollution from marine vessels in U.S. and
foreign waters.
Lawmakers introduced bills to adopt various commission recommendations,
such as reauthorizing the primary federal law governing fisheries
management and making the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration an agency separate from the Commerce Department.
NOAA spokesman Jordan St. John said the Bush administration has taken
"aggressive and responsible action" toward better ocean policy, such as
improving how coral reefs are monitored and linking nearly 60 nations
within a decade to gather and share information from satellites, ocean
buoys, weather stations and other surface and airborne instruments.
"We're confident as projects are completed we'll earn higher marks," he
said, adding, "This administration is putting $9 billion a year into
ocean-related activities."
Source: Associated Press
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