For Immediate Release
For more information contact:
David Helvarg, Blue Frontier
(202) 491-6296 or (510) 778-8470
Ocean Leaders send letter to Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump: What will you do as President for the Blue in our Red, White and Blue?
This past week a letter went out to campaign representatives for Secretary Hillary Clinton and Mr. Donald Trump from 115 ocean leaders in business, science, conservation, education and other fields seeking clarification on what they will do if elected President to protect our public seas, ocean economy and maritime security (see the letter below). The aim is to get a response by early September on how the next President will act on key coastal and ocean issues.
These include the fight against illegal pirate fishing, establishment of marine protected areas – like National Parks in the sea – and coastal adaptation to sea level rise and other climate challenges.
The letter also calls for appropriate levels of funding for frontline agencies involved in exploration, conservation and maritime law-enforcement including the U.S. Coast Guard and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
The Ocean leaders who’ve signed this letter include CEOs of seafood and other businesses, directors of major science labs, aquariums and diver organizations, well known ocean explorers, authors, artists, marine conservationists, members of Congress and former heads of EPA and NOAA.
For more information on the attached ocean letter feel free to contact David Helvarg, Executive Director Blue Frontier at helvarg@bluefront.org.
Also feel free to contact the Clinton and Trump campaigns directly. Their responses have been respectfully requested by September 7.
Dear Secretary Clinton,
Dear Mr. Trump,
As citizens we call on the next President of the United States to support our nation’s marine and coastal economy and assure the sound stewardship of our coasts and ocean. Our nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), stretching 200 miles out from our shores, is the largest in the world: a blue frontier more extensive than our continental landmass. With increased scientific knowledge and understanding of this great frontier comes both an opportunity and a responsibility to protect, preserve and restore the blue in our red, white and blue.
Recognizing that the protection of coastal communities, ocean-dependent jobs and businesses, the marine environment and America’s maritime heritage has long been a nonpartisan goal, we ask you as one of the two leading candidates for President of the United States, to respond and commit to the following principles and actions:
I. International Arena
Support initiatives to protect our global commons on the high seas and the polar seas through agreements to restore fish and other marine wildlife, reduce marine pollution, encourage scientific collaboration and protect vital habitats including seamounts, coral reefs and coastal mangroves. An excellent example of this kind of commitment was the broad bipartisan support that led to the IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015.
Based on the early work of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who established the highest level of protection for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument of Hawaii, and Presidents Bush and Barack Obama in establishing and expanding the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, we call for similar support for global efforts to create additional marine reserves based on the best-available science. We expect the next president to support the continued protection of unique ocean habitats similar to the United States’ National Parks system. These areas can act as a world repository of marine biodiversity for our own and future generations.
II. United States
Continue to expand a national ocean policy that coordinates federal efforts to eliminate agency conflicts and redundancy while working with traditional and emerging users of our public seas, coasts and Great Lakes. This policy should embrace local, state, tribal and regional initiatives to ensure healthy and productive seas. The next administration should also continue to promote best fisheries and aquaculture management practices to sustain our living resources and the jobs that go with them including market transparency and traceability. You should address emerging challenges from a changing climate including protecting coastal populations at risk, providing resources such as new Coast Guard icebreakers for the Arctic and research tools for science. You should address the impacts of sea-level rise, ocean acidification, ocean warming as well as new ocean uses including offshore wind and hydrokinetic energy sources.
Recognizing that our EEZ frontier waters and our national economy depend on healthy seas, new discoveries and maritime enforcement, the next President should commit to fully fund the marine stewardship, exploration and law-enforcement missions carried out by the frontline agencies on America’s blue frontier including the United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
We believe a commitment to these four action areas by the next President of the United States will help turn the tide in restoring a vital element of the American economy, our heritage and our security from sea to shining sea.
We look forward to your response that we hope to receive by Sept. 7 and to hearing more on your plans.
With regards and respect,
Katherine Abbot
President and CEO
Boston Harbor Now
Glenn A. Arthur
Chairman
New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs
Dana Beach
Executive Director
South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
Wendy Benchley
Co-Founder
Peter Benchley Ocean Awards
Jeff Benoit
President
Restore America’s Estuaries
Dr. Scott G. Borgeson
CEO
CargoMetrics Technologies
Angel Braestrup
Executive Director
The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation
Peg Brandon
President
Sea Education Association/SEA Semester
Graham Casden
Chief Visionary Officer
Ocean First
Susan Casey
Author
Gary Cherr, PhD
Professor Environmental Toxicology & Nutrition
Director, University of California Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory
Reverend Dr. Richard Cizik
President
New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
Representative Curt Clawson (R- 19th)
Naples, Florida
Dianna Cohen
CEO co-founder
Plastic Pollution Coalition
Philippe Cousteau
Executive Director
EarthEcho International
Dr. Michael Crosby
President & CEO
Mote Marine Laboratory
Mary T. Crowley
Executive Director
Ocean Voyages Institute
Project Kaisei
Anna Cummins
Co-Founder
The 5 Gyres Institute
Jim Cummings
Executive Director
Acoustic Ecology Institute
R. Mark Davis
President
Sailors for the Sea
Richard Delaney
President and CEO
Center for Coastal Studies
Jacqueline Dixon
Dean
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Oceanographer
National Geographic Explorer in Residence
Representative Sam Farr (D-20th)
Monterey, California
Daniella V. Fernandez
Founder & Chair
Sustainable Oceans Alliance
Alexandra S. Garcia
Executive Director
International League of Conservation Photographers
Sherri Goodman
Former CEO, Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security)
Member, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council
Gary Griggs
Distinguished Professor & Director
Institute of Marine Sciences
University of California Santa Cruz
Marce Gutierrez-Graudins
Founder/Director
AZUL
William E. Hawkins
Professor Emeritus
Director, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Retired)
University of Southern Mississippi
Randy Hayes
Executive Director
Foundation Earth
David Helvarg
Executive Director
Blue Frontier
Wolcott Henry
President
The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation
Dr. Nigella Hillgarth
President and Chief Executive Officer
New England Aquarium
Elizabeth Lacey Hoover
Chairman
Herbert W. Hoover Foundation
Joseph Ierna Jr.
Founder and Executive Director
Ocean CREST Alliance
Jeremy Jackson
Professor of Oceanography Emeritus
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Phillip Johnson
Executive Director
Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition
Susan Jordon
Executive Director
California Coastal Protection Network
Les Kaufman
Professor of Biology
Boston University Marine Program
Kiho Kim, PhD
Professor & Chair
Department of Environmental Science
American University
Isabeella Kirkland
Artist
Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.
Professor of Practice of Policy and Engineering
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher (U.S. Navy, Ret)
CEO and Director, GeoOptics, Inc.
Former Under Secretary of Commerce/NOAA Administrator (2001-2008)
Member, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council
Margaret Leinen, Ph.D.
Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
UC San Diego Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences
Dean of the School of Marine Science
Wayne Levin
Fine Art Photographer
Roland Lewis
President and CEO
Waterfront Alliance
Kurt Lieber
Executive Director / Founder
Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA)
Kimball Livingston
Commodore
St. Francis Yacht Club
Pam Longobardi
Distinguished University Professor
Professor of Art
GSU / Atlanta
Tami Lunsford
President
National Marine Educators Association
David McGuire, MEH
Director
Shark Stewards
Sunshine Menezes, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting
University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography
Andreas Merkl
Chief Executive Officer
Ocean Conservancy
Ali Miller
President
Colorado Scuba Retailers Association (CSRA)
Partner, Denver Divers
Todd Miller
Executive Director
North Carolina Coastal Federation
Kevin Mills
President and CEO
South Carolina Aquarium
Ambassador John Norton Moore
Director, The Center for Oceans Law & Policy
The University of Virginia
Bill Mott
Director
The Ocean Project
Peter Neill
Director
World Ocean Observatory
Chad Nelsen
CEO
Surfrider Foundation
Wallace J. Nichols PhD
Founder
Blue Mind Fund
Vicki Nichols Goldstein
Founder and Director
Colorado Ocean Coalition
Timothy O’Shea
CEO & Co-Founder
CleanFish
Dave Oakes, Ed.D.
Co-director
Center for Ecological Living and Learning
Chris Palmer
Director
Center for Environmental Filmmaking
American University
Stephen Palumbi
Director, Hopkins Marine Station
Stanford University
Daniel Pingaro
Executive Director
Laguna Beach Community Foundation
Ellen Prager, PhD
President
Earth2Ocean, Inc
Louie Psihoyos
Executive Director
Oceanic Preservation Society
DeeVon Quirolo
President
Nature Coast Conservation, Inc.
Nancy Rabalais, PhD.
Executive Director and Professor
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
John Racanelli
President/ Chief Executive Officer
National Aquarium
Drew Richardson
President and Chief Executive Officer
PADI Worldwide
Jim Ries
President
One More Generation
David Rockefeller, Jr.
Co-founder
Sailors for the Sea
William D. Ruckelshaus
Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Agency (1970-’73, 1983-’85)
Member, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council
Sean Russell
Director
Youth Ocean Conservation Summit
Daniella Russo
Chief Executive Officer
Think Beyond Plastic™ Innovation Accelerator
Karen Sack
Managing Director
Ocean Unite
Carl Safina
Endowed Professor for Nature and Humanity
Stony Brook University
Miyoko Sakashita
Oceans Director
Center for Biological Diversity
Enric Sala
Explorer-in-Residence
National Geographic Society
Dr. Paul Sandifer
Research Associate and Director
Center for Coastal Environmental and Human Health, College of Charleston
Member, Join Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council
Shari Sant Plummer
President
Code Blue Foundation
Cynthia Sarthou
Executive Director
Gulf Restoration Network
Terry Sawyer
Vice President and Co-Founder
Hog Island Oyster Co.
Eric Schmidt
Executive Chairman
Alphabet, Inc.
Wendy Schmidt
President, The Schmidt Family Foundation
Co-Founder, Schmidt Ocean Institute
Jerry R. Schubel, PhD
President and CEO
Aquarium of the Pacific
David Schwartz
President and CEO
Schwartz and Associates Landscape Architecture
Jason Scorse, PhD
Director, Center for the Blue Economy
Middlebury Institute of International Studies
Barton Seaver
Center for Health and the Global Environment
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Jennifer Seavey, Ph.D.
Director, Shoals Marine Laboratory
Cornell University
Sarah Shaw
Founder
Nature Defense Foundation
Brian Skerry
Photojournalist for National Geographic Magazine
Bren Smith
Director, Greenwave
Owner/Farmer, Thimble Island Ocean Farm
Stuart L. Smits
CEO
New Energy Ventures
Richard Snow
President, C.E.O.
The International SeaKeepers Society
Rob Snyder, PhD
President
Island Institute
Mark J. Spalding
President
The Ocean Foundation
Michael Stocker
Director
Ocean Conservation Research
Michael Sutton
Chair, COMPASS
Chair, Ocean Champions
Summer Faculty, Vermont Law School
Liz Taylor
President
DOER Marine/Deep Ocean Exploration and Research
Chris Tellis
Owner and Harbor Master
Yellow Ferry Harbor
Kyle Thiermann
Journalist/Professional Surfer
Ray Toll
President, Marine Technology Society
Director of Coastal Resilience Research
Office of Research, Old Dominion University
Dave Toole
CEO
Outhink Media
Jim Toomey
Creator – Sherman’s Lagoon
Syndicated daily comic strip
Don Walsh PhD
Explorer & Oceanographer
Rob Wilder, J.D. PhD
Chair
WilderHill Clean Energy Index (ECO)
David Wilmot, Ph.D.
President and Co-Founder
Ocean Champions
R. Scott Winters
CEO
Coral Restoration Foundation
Wyland
Marine Artist and Conservationist
William M. Ziefle
President & Chief Executive Officer
Divers Alert Network, Inc.
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