Friday, 17 July 2009

Along with its recreational fishing partners, NMMA has submitted comments to the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, a group of senior policy-level officials charged with developing a national policy framework for U.S. oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes. President Obama issued an Executive Memorandum on June 12 instructing this Task Force to outline a new National Oceans Policy and develop a framework for “Marine Spatial Planning,” otherwise known as ocean zoning. The Task Force, established last month, is led by the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), a division of the Executive Office of the President that works closely with agencies and the White House in developing environmental policies and initiatives.

NMMA is also attending a recreational boating stakeholder meeting with CEQ and the Task Force on Friday, July 17, and an additional meeting with Administration officials next week with a group of marine industries. In addition to the recreational fishing and boating comments NMMA has already jointly submitted, NMMA will submit additional comments to the Task Force and continue to closely monitor and engage on this issue as it develops. The President has asked for formal recommendations on marine spatial planning and national oceans policy by the end of the year.