House Republican Leaders Criticize President’s Ocean Zoning in the Pacific

On June 17, 2014, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings released a statement criticizing President Obama’s announcement of Executive action imposing ocean zoning on portions of the Pacific Ocean. This statement included the following:

“For years the Obama Administration has threatened to impose ocean zoning to shut down our oceans, and today the President is making good on that threat.  This is yet another example of how an Imperial President is intent on taking unilateral action, behind closed doors, to impose new regulations and layers of restrictive red-tape.  Oceans, like our federal lands, are intended to be multiple-use and open for a wide range of economic activities that includes fishing, recreation, conservation, and energy production.  It appears this Administration will use whatever authorities – real or made-up – to close our ocean and coastal areas with blatant disregard for possible economic consequences.

New White House Actions on Marine Protected Areas

During the week of June 2014, the U.S. State Department hosted the “Our Ocean” conference, an international conference on sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and ocean acidification. As part of the conference, the President announced several actions that the United States is taking with regard to its oceans and great lakes. These steps include:

• New protections for world-class marine areas.

• Combating black market fishing and supporting fishermen.

• Establishing a pathway to new marine sanctuaries.

• Meeting diverse coastal needs with regional marine planning.

• Understanding the impacts of ocean acidification.

Maritime Spatial Planning: Supporting the Economy and Preserving the Environment (The Fish Site)

EU – How to use the space on our seas the most efficient and sustainable way? EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki will underline today (5 June) the importance of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) to the EU’s economic and environmental sustainability goals.

Speaking ahead of a European Commission event on MSP hosted in Athens, Commissioner Damanaki will be joined by Mr Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Greece’s Minister of Shipping, Maritime Affairs and the Aegean, and Ms Gesine Meissner, MEP and Rapporteur on the Directive for Maritime Spatial Planning.