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©2003 Cascadia Times

Plundering the Pacific

I N O U R O P I N I O N

What you can do for the Pacific Ocean?

While the ocean and the fish and wildlife in it can truly belong to no one, you as an American citizen and the federal agencies that manage these resources are responsible for how these resources are managed. Probably the single most important thing you can do as a citizen is to speak up and let your friends, family, community and decisionmakers know that you want increased protections for our oceans.

There are several ways to do this:

1. Become informed about fisheries management. Two recent reports detail the state of America's fisheries. The first is the Pew Oceans Commission report which can be found at www.pewoceans.org. The second is the US Commission on Ocean Policy which can be found at www.oceancommission.gov. Various ocean conservation organizations put out electronic and printed information about pressing issues and how you can get involved. See a partial list of ocean conservation groups at: www.conservefish.org/site/aboutus/links

2. Sign the Conserve Our Ocean Legacy petition to build support for increased protections for our ocean ecosystems. Conserve Our Ocean Legacy is educating citizens across the country about the problems in our oceans and solutions. You can sign the petition and learn more at: www.oceanlegacy.org

3. Ask your representative and senators to reform the fisheries management system to put conservation first in protecting the ocean. Ask them to end the conflict of interest that threatens the health of Pacific Ocean fish and wildlife. To find your representative go to: www.house.gov. To find your senators go to: www.senate.gov

4. Join a conservation group that is working toward sustainable fisheries management. A partial list of ocean conservation groups can be found at: www.conservefish.org/site/aboutus/links

5. Vote with Your Pocketbook. Talk to the person selling you fish. Ask them where the fish came from and if it was sustainably harvested. Ask your market or restaurant to carry or serve fish that is not endangered or overfished and that the fishery doesn't have significant bycatch associated with it.

6. Learn about your watershed. All water drains to the ocean, so you're connected to the sea, even if you can't see it. Go natural. Learn how to maintain your lawn and garden without chemicals. The rain that washes off your yard, into the river, and into the ocean will be cleaner for it. Prevent waste — prevent waste from winding up in the ocean — choose reusable packaging and products, and walk on a cleaner beach next time.

7. Talk about it. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors about the importance of conserving our ocean legacy. Organize a slide show by a conservation group for your community. If you live in a coastal area, talk to a commercial fishermen about these issues. If you live in an inland area, talk to sportfishers about these issues.

8. Advocate directly. A direct way to ensure sustainable fisheries management is to participate in the regulation-making process. All Council decisions are required by law to include public comment. All meetings are open to the public. Unfortunately, meetings are usually held during business hours so it may be difficult to attend. Written comments are acceptable. Most actions the Councils take are printed in the Federal Register. These actions include meetings and regulatory actions. They include information about how to comment on these proposed actions.

Pacific Council (California, Oregon, Washington)
www.pcouncil.org
www.pcouncil.org/operations/involved.html#Ten_Ways
This is an excellent guide to getting involved in fishery management at the Council level.

Western Pacific Council
www.wpcouncil.org

North Pacific Council
www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfm