Advocates Flood the Capitol Today to Support Smart Ocean Policy
Environment California
YubaNet
04/04/2011
SACRAMENTO, Calif. April 4, 2011 - Today, more than 100 ocean health advocates and experts from all over California are in the Capitol for the fourth annual Sacramento Oceans Day. They are urging policymakers to implement common sense resource policies that will keep California's vital natural resource, our oceans and coasts, healthy and productive for generations to come.
The areas of focus for 2011 Sacramento Oceans Day include plastic pollution, shark finning, sea level rise, and the state's landmark ocean protection law, the Marine Life Protection Act. Conservationists, students, scientists, and recreational ocean users have traveled to Sacramento to send a strong message to lawmakers about the importance of investing in the long-term sustainability of vital marine resources. With California's ocean economy driving $22 billion in revenue and nearly 370,000 jobs each year, the state cannot afford to neglect ocean and coastal its health.
Congresswoman Doris Matsui said, "As Californians, protecting our oceans is a responsibility that comes with the privilege of the proximity, resources, and benefits that the Pacific Ocean provides our state. In Congress, I've been working to ensure that the California coast is protected from offshore drilling; and that we continue to implement measures that provide California families with clean water and clean air. I will continue to be a strong advocate for the conservation of our earth and its oceans, and thank all of today's attendees for your leadership in these efforts."
Plans for the day include a noon science briefing sponsored by Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) on the importance of ocean predators to healthy marine ecosystems. Expert speakers include by Dr. Stuart Sandin of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Dr. Francesco Ferretti of Stanford University. In the evening, Monterey Bay Aquarium is hosting an invitation-only reception to honor individuals and groups that have championed ocean health in California over the past year. Featured speakers include Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird, and Executive Director of Monterey Bay Aquarium Julie Packard.
Sacramento Oceans Day is sponsored by CalCoast, California Coastkeeper Alliance, Environment California, Environmental Defense Fund, Heal the Bay, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, San Diego Coastkeeper, Surfrider Foundation and Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea.
