Summary
Then there's the economic activity we know best around here -- tourism. According to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's final report, issued last week, "tourism and recreation is one of the nation's fastest-growing business sectors, enriching economies and supporting jobs in communities virtually everywhere along the shores of the United States and its territories." We know how that works here -- more than 3 million visitors a year just to our tiny island chain, and a tourism economy worth $1.3 billion, supporting 33,000 jobs.
One important step is the concept of ecosystem-based management. This is the idea that the different parts and pieces of an ecosystem work together and that approaching each fish species or activity as if it existed in a vacuum doesn't work. We know it doesn't work, because that's what we do now.This is an exciting time for those of us who care about oceans. Responding to the release of the two reports, the U.S. Congress is now considering several ocean bills. We live in an unprecedented age of technology and information, where anyone with an Internet connection can see satellite images and receive reports on ocean life. And, of course, those of us lucky enough to live on the coasts can plunge in, look through a snorkel mask and see the underwater wonders for ourselves and remind ourselves why they're worth saving so future generations can see them, too.See the full content of this document
Extract
Congress Considers Several Ocean Bills
In 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as President of the United States. The Stonewall riot in New York City marked the beginning of the gay rights movement. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. A few musical groups and some young people gathered for a concert near Woodstock, N.Y.
And in that ...See the full content of this document
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