Working Together for a Healthy Ocean Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington January 18, 2006

Working Together for a Working Together for a Healthy OceanHealthy Ocean

Grantmakers of Oregon and SW WashingtonGrantmakers of Oregon and SW WashingtonJanuary 18, 2006January 18, 2006

• Who is Oregon OceanWho is Oregon Ocean

• What’s the Problem: An Ocean in CrisisWhat’s the Problem: An Ocean in Crisis

• A 21A 21stst Century Opportunity: Create an Ocean Century Opportunity: Create an Ocean EthicEthic

• Protect Special Places: Ecosystem ApproachProtect Special Places: Ecosystem Approach

• One Remedy: Marine Protected AreasOne Remedy: Marine Protected Areas

• Our Legacy: Extending Beach Bill to Our Legacy: Extending Beach Bill to

Marine WatersMarine Waters

Who, What, WhyWho, What, Why

• The oceans are our largest public resource—an area 23% larger than our nation’s land area

• Yet, less than 1% of our nation’s oceans, and none of Oregon’s ocean are protected

Our Ocean: Our Ocean:

A Priceless ResourceA Priceless Resource

WHO IS OREGON OCEAN?

• A statewide alliance of conservation organizations

and science and communications partners

Working TogetherWorking Together

• Formed in 2004, Launched in 2005

• 7 State and National Conservation Members

• 7 Advisory Council Partners

• Carolyn Waldron, Director

• Paul Engelmeyer, OPAC Liaison

A Statewide Alliance A Statewide Alliance

• Audubon Society of Portland

• Conservation Leaders Network

• Natural Resources Defense Council

• Oceana

• Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition • Oregon State Public Interest Research Group

• Surfrider Foundation

Conservation Conservation MembersMembers

• COMPASS–Communication Partnership for Science

and the Sea• PISCO–Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies on

Coastal Oceans• Green Fire Productions• Resource Media• The Nature Conservancy• Coast Range Association• Pacific Marine Conservation Council

Advisory CouncilAdvisory Council

• The Lazar Foundation (Oregon)The Lazar Foundation (Oregon)

• Meyer Memorial Trust (Oregon)Meyer Memorial Trust (Oregon)

• David and Lucile Packard Foundation David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Calif)(Calif)

• The Bullitt Foundation (Washington)The Bullitt Foundation (Washington)

• The Harder Foundation (Washington)The Harder Foundation (Washington)

PartnersPartners

Mission Statement

Oregon Ocean is a statewide alliance promoting the protection and restoration ofmarine life and habitat for a healthy ocean,thriving communities and our children’s

future.

Mission and GoalsMission and Goals

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

• Collapse of West Coast Groundfish Fishery-- largest fishery closure in US history

• Beach Closures

• Seabird Die-offs

• Sedementation/Water Pollution

• Dead Zones

• Loss of Biodiversity

Oceans in CrisisOceans in Crisis

HUMAN SERVICESHUMAN SERVICES Weather Water Quality

TransportationEnergy

Food Aesthetic ValueMedicines Play / Rejuvenation

Why Care?Why Care?

MORAL IMPERATIVEMORAL IMPERATIVE

• Intrinsic Value of Marine Life andOcean Resources

- Wildlife: Invertebrates/Anemones/Coral (starfish, barnacles, sponges, crabs),

Fish, Pelagic Birds, Mammals (whales)

Why Care?Why Care?

Photo courtesy of Ben NievesPhoto courtesy of Ben Nieves

• Once considered inexhaustible and resilient, we now know the ocean is finite and fragile

• Sweeping changes are needed in coastal, ocean protection

Oceans in PerilOceans in Peril

• Pew Oceans Commission (May 2003)America’s Living Oceans: Charting a Course

for Sea Change

• U.S. Commission on Oceans (July 2004)An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century

• Joint Ocean Commission (Oct. 2005)www.joint oceanscommission.org

National Call to ActionNational Call to Action

• Develop an Ocean Ethic in OregonMarine parks and wildlife refuges

• Harness current regional, national, and international momentum driving urgent need for a new ocean policy ethos

• Extend “Beach Bill” legacy into ocean watersAll 362 miles of ocean beaches are public access recreation areas

Be BoldBe Bold

Stemming the biodiversity crisis is credibly one of the most important

social movements of our time.

Biodiversity CrisisBiodiversity Crisis

OUR AMBITION

• Protect Special Places

• Conserve Significant Marine Habitat Areas- spawning grounds, nursery areas,

biodiversity hotspots

Just as we have done on the landscape by setting

aside national / state parks and wildlife refuges

Create an Ocean EthicCreate an Ocean Ethic

Photo courtesy of Ben NievesPhoto courtesy of Ben Nieves

• Conserve and recover full range of native biological diversity in Oregon’s nearshore waters and coastal shore

• Habitat designation and other methods:permanent protection of ecological values and representative habitat areas

Protect Protect

Marine HabitatMarine Habitat

• Heceta Head to Heceta Banks, Astoria Canyon, Cape Blanco to Port Orford Reef + + +

• Protect the Columbia River Gorge, Wallowa Mountains, Mt. Hood of Oregon’s Ocean

Protect Protect

Special PlacesSpecial Places

• Help identify significant marine habitat areas for conservation and protection

• Apply best available science and technologies to protect marine biodiversity (gov’t, NGO, academic collaboration)

• Establish creative policy solutions

Science-PolicyScience-Policy

• The “cornerstone of a new vision for healthy, productive, resilient marine ecosystems…”

• Described by exerts as:“A comprehensive, integrated approach that considers the entire ecosystem, including humans.”

• “…provide stable fisheries, abundant wildlife, clean beaches, vibrant coastal communities and healthy seafood.”

COMPASS, Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based Management, March 21, 2005

Ecosystem-based Ecosystem-based ManagementManagement

Ecosystem-based management:

• Differs from current approaches that usually focus on a single-species , sector, activity or concern

• Instead, considers the cumulative impacts of different sectors

A Holistic ApproachA Holistic Approach

Specifically, EBM

• Acknowledges interconnectedness among systems, such as between air, land and sea; and

• Integrates ecological, social, economic, and institutional perspectives, recognizing their strong interdependences

ComprehensiveComprehensive

Marine ManagementMarine Management

• Adoption of a comprehensive strategy for sustaining Oregon’s coastal and ocean resources:

- Strategic action plan for instituting ecosystem- based management / Meyer Memorial Trust

- Marine biodiversity conservation planning / OSU

Comprehensive andComprehensive and

Ecosystem-basedEcosystem-based

Photo courtesy of Ben NievesPhoto courtesy of Ben Nieves

• Human behavior is centered in a discontinuity between people’s ability to act and our ability to understand the consequences of our actions

The Challenge:The Challenge:

Hypertrophic HubrisHypertrophic Hubris

• Global Climate Change

• Overfishing

• Invasive Species

• Coastal Development – Habitat Degradation

• Land Use Impacts – Water Pollution

Threats to Ocean Threats to Ocean HealthHealth

• 2006: warmest year on record

• Past 9 years: warmest of last 25

• Warmer ocean water

• Sea-level rise

Global Climate Global Climate ChangeChange

• Pew Oceans Commission (2003)America’s Living Oceans: Charting a Course forSea Change

• U.S. Commission on Oceans (2004)An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century

• United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

• Worm, et al, Science (2006)

OverfishingOverfishing

• ‘Race to Fish’ is driven by fishery mgmnt policies (overcapitalization, overharvesting, bycatch)

• Divide the spoils rather than conserve resource--ancient argument over freedom of the sea

• Hypertrophic perspective has crippled efforts to implement protective policies

OverfishingOverfishing

Protect the Habitat

One Remedy: Marine Reserves and Marine Protected Areas

Restore the Bounty Restore the Bounty

Marine reserves – “places in the ocean that are completely and permanently protected from uses that remove animals and plants or alter their habitats.” (PISCO)

Our Ocean, Our Our Ocean, Our FutureFuture

Marine protected areas are tools that can be used to achieve specific management goals —-marine wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries-marine parks and recreation areas-wildlife management areas-research-only areas

Marine Protected Marine Protected AreasAreas

Photo courtesy of Ben NievesPhoto courtesy of Ben Nieves

• Scientific data show that marine reserves have bigger fish and more fish and significantly greater species diversity

• Established marine reserves have yielded three essential results:

Marine ReservesMarine Reserves

1. Increased abundance of life—3Xs as many plants and animals

2. Size of organisms significantly increased: on average, fish and other animals and

plants size increased by over 80%; and

Recovering the Recovering the BountyBounty

3. Increased number of species—70% increase, on avg., in species

diversity

• Spillover to adjacent waters: animals move to other areas outside of reserves and positively impact fisheries and ecosystems

Recovering the Recovering the BountyBounty

• Create an economically viable and ecologically sustainable plan for Oregon’s ocean

• Local action to protect our ocean will bring local benefits

An Oregonian SolutionAn Oregonian Solution

• Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve, FL 2001- 150 square nautical miles

• Marine Life Protection Act 2006- 18% of Central CA protected

• NW Hawaiian Islands National Monument 2006

- - 140,000 square miles

A New Ocean EthicA New Ocean Ethic

““One thing that most people don’t appreciate One thing that most people don’t appreciate is the phenomenal diversity of species that is the phenomenal diversity of species that we have off our shores in Oregon. This is we have off our shores in Oregon. This is one of the richest temperate marine one of the richest temperate marine ecosystems in the entire world. We just ecosystems in the entire world. We just have a wealth of plants and animals.”have a wealth of plants and animals.”

- Jane Lubchenco, distinguished professor of zoology, Oregon State University

Oregon’s OceanOregon’s Ocean

Photos courtesy of Photos courtesy of

Ben NievesBen Nieves

• Restore and Protect the Habitat

• Protect Special Places

• Conserve Significant Habitat Areas

It’s the Habitat It’s the Habitat

•Establish Marine Protected Areas:

Marine Conservation AreasMarine Parks / Recreation Areas Wildlife Management AreasSanctuary Preservation AreasResearch-only Reserves

An Ocean EthicAn Ocean Ethic

 “ “All organisms need a place to live. All organisms need a place to live. That’s their habitat. So if the habitat That’s their habitat. So if the habitat goes, so does the organism. It’s as goes, so does the organism. It’s as simple as that.” simple as that.”

- Oregon State University’s Mark Hixon, M.A., in the documentary film, Common Ground: Oregon’s Ocean

It’s the HabitatIt’s the Habitat

As Federal Ocean Commissioner As Federal Ocean Commissioner

William Ruckelshaus puts it, William Ruckelshaus puts it,

"A healthy ecosystem has healthy fish "A healthy ecosystem has healthy fish stocks."stocks."

It’s the HabitatIt’s the Habitat

Photo courtesy of Ben NievesPhoto courtesy of Ben Nieves

Visionary / BoldVisionary / Bold: :

• 1913 Governor West: Public Coast Hwy1913 Governor West: Public Coast Hwy

• 1967 Governor McCall: Beach Bill1967 Governor McCall: Beach Bill

• 2001-2006: Marine Ecological Reserves2001-2006: Marine Ecological Reserves

• 2006 West Coast Governors’ Agreement2006 West Coast Governors’ Agreement

• 2007?: Oregon’s Ocean – 2007?: Oregon’s Ocean – Our LegacyOur Legacy

Extending the Beach Extending the Beach Bill to Marine WatersBill to Marine Waters

Photo courtesy of Ben NievesPhoto courtesy of Ben Nieves

It’s time to get smart about a healthy ocean.

YES WE CAN !

Our Ocean, Our Our Ocean, Our FutureFuture

Working Together for a Working Together for a Healthy OceanHealthy Ocean