Dr.Jane Lubchenco unveiled what she called a "Grand Challenge to theNation" during a speech Monday before ocean and coastal managementexperts who are attending a conference this week in the state capital.
The NOAA Administrator said she deliberately chose to announce her oceans challenge on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. "Given the similarities between President Kennedy issuing a grand challenge and the fact that we delivered on that, and the comparable opportunities that I see for the country today, and given the urgency of the issues, it seemed like the right timing."
Dr. Lubchenco sits on a special Ocean Policy Task Force created by President Barack Obama to develop a "framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning." "Marine spatial planning" refers to the process of determining which kind of activity should be allowed in which parts of the oceans, including which portions of the oceans should have single or multiple uses, while still protecting fragile marine ecosystems. Lubchenco said better planning, with the help of extensive public hearing and comment, could help minimize conflicts in the future, particularly as developers seek to place wind farms or tidal energy projects in deeper waters farther from shore
Dr. Lubchenco said it is up to the New England Fishery Management Council to determine whether catch shares — an alternative management approach that assigns fish quotas to individuals or groups of fishermen — are appropriate for the fishery. The council recently approved a voluntary sectors program, which is seen by many as a baby step toward more comprehensive catch share management. Catch shares are not a panacea for depleted fisheries and struggling fishing ports but they can be a powerful tool if designed correctly, Lubchenco said. "There are very legitimate concerns that a lot of fishermen have about catch shares, which boil down to what the initial allocation is and what the rules of trading are, and those are both key elements in the design."
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