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Our oceans are in trouble |
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Our oceans are in trouble. The U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy finalized its comprehensive report on the state of our oceans last
week, and the message is crystal clear: we must make the changes now to
restore, protect, and conserve our fragile oceans. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report concurred with other recent oceans reports: over-fishing, over-development of our coasts, habitat destruction and mismanagement are leading to the decline of ocean wildlife and the collapse of entire marine ecosystems. The Commission concluded that the United States needs to prioritize the protection of our oceans. This is the first congressionally mandated report in 35 years to study the state of our oceans. If we follow the report's recommendations, we'll have a chance to make real progress towards protecting our oceans. Soon, the White House will get the report from the Commission - whose members were presidentially appointed - and will need to decide what to do with them. Please take a moment to call and urge the White House to heed the recommendations made by these ocean experts. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this message to them. You can call James Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, at 202-456-6224. Here's a sample message you can leave: "Hello, my name is _____ and I live in _______. Please implement the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's recommendations to make the conservation of ocean ecosystems the primary responsibility of oceans management." |