January 29, 2021 — As the Biden administration takes over, I’ve seen quite a bit of hand-wringing among stakeholders in the fishing industry.
Depending on what policies you’re watching closely, that anticipation is coupled with anxiety about what may or may *not* happen next.
While I would never hold my breath for 100 percent buy-in on any policy, I hope we can get a majority speaking in a unified voice around some of the critical pieces of the 30×30 mandates. So here’s my rundown on the key points.
The goal
To commit 30 percent of the nation’s lands and oceans to conservation by 2030, as part of President Biden’s executive order on addressing climate change.
The origin
The way-back machine takes us to a United Nations 2015 Sustainable Development Goal to “conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.”
The 30×30 language got a jump in 2020 as legislation conceived in California, where it failed to pass. It was dusted off, reformatted and expanded to become part of a suite of sweeping Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization proposals and introduced in the House last fall, titled the Oceans-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2020.
Now it has become part of the Biden administration’s new climate proposals issued as executive orders. If you haven’t heard, the new administration is prioritizing environmental justice. (Before you roll your eyes, note this can and is designed to work out for everyone. Read on.)
What this could mean for the fishing industry is exactly what so many stakeholders have been asking for — a seat at the table. The primary strategy for implementation of this policy is community engagement.