Ocean Zone News Blog

By Ronald W. Ruth

Zoning — a concept generally associated with shopping centers and apartment complexes — moved off dry land this month when Massachusetts released a draft of its trend-setting “Ocean Plan,” which will establish zoning for the state’s coastal waters.

The Ocean Plan, which will soon be the subject of public hearings, is definitely good for business. But it is far better for some businesses than others. Those in industries not favored in the draft document must now speak up for their interests to make sure that the plan takes a more equitable approach to future ocean development.

Huffpost

Imagine a world without fish. It’s closer than you think. And, it’s not the legacy I want to leave for my children. As a Southern California resident and long-time ocean activist, I care deeply about the state of our sea and know we cannot take it for granted. It provides a wealth of economic, recreational and therapeutic benefits.

China Post

BOSTON — New pressures on the nation’s oceans, from wind turbines to fish farms, are increasingly sparking conflicts with more traditional activities such as shipping and recreational boating and show the need for better planning, the head of the agency overseeing federal ocean research services said Monday.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco said the nation should take cues from Massachusetts, the first state to create a comprehensive planning map for its ocean waters.

While a similar map for the nation would be more daunting — state waters extend out just 3 miles compared to 200 nautical miles for federal waters — Lubchenco said it’s important to begin the process.

Contact: Brian Lin
brian.lin@ubc.ca
604-822-2234
University of British Columbia

A reduction of as little as five per cent in fisheries catch could result in as much as 30 per cent of the British Columbia coastal ecosystems being protected from overfishing, according to a new study from the UBC Fisheries Centre.

The study, by Natalie Ban and Amanda Vincent of Project Seahorse, proposes modest reductions in areas where fisheries take place, rather than the current system of marine protected areas which only safeguard several commercially significant species, such as rockfish, shrimp, crab, or sea cucumber. The article is published today in PLoS ONE, an online journal of the Public Library of Science,

The head of the agency overseeing federal ocean research services said Monday that wind turbines, fish farms and other pressures on the nation’s oceans are increasingly sparking conflicts with more traditional activities such as shipping and recreational boating and must be more carefully planned out, The Associated Press reported.

The nation should take cues from Massachusetts, the first state to create a comprehensive planning map for its ocean waters, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco.

Lubchenco said that while a similar map for the nation would be more daunting, state waters extend out just 3 miles compared to 200 nautical miles for federal waters.