Toxic-Free Environment News Releases

Statement of Jeremy Wright, Environmental Advocate OSPIRG

President Bush responded to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's (USCOP) report today by signing an executive order to establish a cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy.

OSPIRG commends the White House for recognizing that our oceans are in crisis and the creation of this Committee is a commendable first step. However it is just that - a first step and we look forward to working with the President to ensure that the detailed recommendations of his own commission are carried out.

The creation of a cabinet-level body to coordinate the management of our oceans sounds promising, but the devil is in the details and unfortunately this order is so lacking in specifics that it is hard to determine whether this step will meaningfully implement the reforms outlined in the USCOP report.

It is important to point out that this comes as the Bush administration is poised to redefine "overfishing." in order to permit industry to take even more fish from our Oceans. This effort ignores the USCOP's warning that overfishing is a major contributing factor to the decline of ocean health. Here in Oregon we have seen a rapid decline of our groundifsh populations and to permit additional taking of these species will only imperil our already fragile Fisheries.

In the spirit of the president's goal of improving the management of our federal fisheries, his administration should reconsider their proposed re-definition of "overfishing": and instead keep this standard as currently written.

President Bush has an historic opportunity to be a true champion for the oceans. Oregon and America's coasts and oceans, and all those that depend on them, are all counting on him to create a legacy of true ocean protection.

Oregon State Public Interest Research Group is a non profit, non partisan public interest advocacy organization with 28,000 citizen members.