Healthy Oceans

We can drastically improve our chances of battling climate change if we start thinking seriously about wild seafood. Wild seafood, properly managed, can replenish itself year by year, decade by decade, millennia by millennia.

It's time to make protecting ocean health our new year's resolution. Thankfully, our new national ocean policy offers a bright start for our ocean future.

At present, there are no fewer than 140 laws and 20 agencies that govern our seas, each with its own agendas and mandates. Such piecemeal governance is unwieldy and fails to effectively address many of the oceans' problems.

Oil continues to plague the Gulf of Mexico, but press reports indicate that today, President Obama, will adopt a new policy that provides hope for the future of our seas. This national policy will transform the way we manage our oceans and Great Lakes.

A national ocean policy will help New York, the East Coast and the entire country better address all of these issues that affect its ocean and its Great Lakes resources.

Like the passage of a Clean Air Act or a Clean Water Act, President Obama is in the process of creating a landmark national healthy oceans policy and plan of action for our seas.

The US needs a comprehensive policy to protect our ocean, coasts and Great Lakes today and for future generations. Right now, our oceans are governed by over 140 laws and 20 different agencies.