Ocean Zone News Blog

From: Shore News Today

More than two dozen strong, they blasted their air horns as they entered the harbor in Martha’s Vineyard last Thursday. The flotilla, a mix of recreational and commercial fishermen from coastal communities across the Northeast, was in Massachusetts to protest restrictions on fishing imposed by President Barack Obama through executive order that they say creates needless layers of bureaucracy while threatening their livelihood.

Leading the parade was Jim Hutchinson, managing director of the New Jersey Recreational Fishing Alliance, in a 45-foot trawler with the NJRFA flag atop the wheel house. Another, the Gadsden flag, delivered the message: “Don’t tread on me.”

The Federal Geographic Data Committee is conducting a public review of the draft Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard.  The CMECS is a framework for organizing scientific information about the marine and coastal environments of the United States. The CMECS provides a means of classifying ecological and habitat units using a common terminology. It provides a uniform protocol for identifying, characterizing and naming ecological units in support of monitoring, protection, and restoration of unique biotic assemblages, protected species, critical habitat, and important ecosystem components.

From The Dutch Harbor Fisherman

The State of Alaska is taking steps to fight two recent federal government actions that the governor says threaten Alaska fisheries and jobs.

President Obama recently signed an executive order creating a new federal bureaucracy tasked with setting ocean policy and requiring marine spatial planning – that is, ocean zoning – in all U.S. waters.

“The federal bureaucracy is too cumbersome already,” Gov. Sean Parnell said in a news release. “Creating more councils, committees and approval processes won’t accomplish anything in this instance except create delay and greater obstacles to Alaska jobs and Alaska fisheries.”

CEQ issued the following report:

Report Regarding the Minerals Management Service’s National Environmental Policy Act Policies, Practices, and Proceduresas They Relate to Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Exploration and Development

August 16, 2010

The recommendations include:

“Perform careful and comprehensive NEPA review of individual deepwater exploration, operation, development, production, and decommissioning activities, including site-specific information where appropriate.”

The report is available at this link http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ceq/20100816-ceq-mms-ocs-nepa.pdf

Submit your views to CEQ via the CRE IPD.

TAIPEI, Taiwan, August 10, 2010 –/WORLD-WIRE/– The 5th International Fishers Forum (IFF5) concluded Thursday in Taipei with approximately 300 participants from fishing industries, governments, academia and conservation organizations declaring their support for a 12-point plan of action on marine spatial planning (MSP) and bycatch mitigation. The actions aim to include the fishing industry in ongoing efforts to use MSP to manage human activities and to continue past IFF efforts to reduce unwanted fishery interactions with sea turtles, seabirds, sharks, non-target finfish and marine mammals.