Sustainable frozen seafood meal supplier LovetheWild, along with several individuals and groups, are urging Americans to rally against an initiative brought forth by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Administration that would open up national marine sanctuaries and monuments to oil drilling.
After an outpouring of public comments on the proposal, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) extended the public comment deadline to 15 August. In a blog post and on its Facebook page, LovetheWild urged consumers who want to protect marine sanctuaries to submit comments on the initiative to the government.
“We were disheartened to learn that the Trump Administration has been making efforts to weaken many environmental protection regulations that harm our land and sea environments,” the company wrote. “Adding more offshore oil rigs off our coasts threatens our marine life and our human health. We run the possibility of another oil spill (like Exxon Valdez and Deep Water Horizon) and we will have further dependence on oil, gas, and coal to power our country, instead of renewable resources such as wind, wave, and solar energy.”
LovetheWild took a public stand on the issue because “we believe that the ocean and its health are important to the world, and want to help folks understand the important and far-reaching role that these irreplaceable sanctuaries play,” Jacqueline Claudia, co-founder and CEO, told SeafoodSource. “Marine sanctuaries aren't just playgrounds for scuba divers – they are critical to preserving our food system, ecosystem, and fighting climate change. Even if people never have the opportunity to visit a sanctuary, their lives are impacted by their existence in a significant way, from the food they eat to the air they breathe.”
“As a seafood company, we want to see our oceans thriving, and the sustainable livelihoods that depend on them, around forever. That is why it's important for our company to take a stand against irresponsible actions that threaten all of us,” Claudia added.
The consumer response to LovetheWild’s efforts has been very positive, with most people in favor of protecting marine sanctuaries, according to Claudia. “This is one of our most liked and most shared posts ever. I hope that people follow through with action, and together we can make a difference,” she said.
However, the company received some negative backlash from Facebook users, with many commenting that the post was “fake news,” and others stating that it was not important to save marine sanctuaries.
“Although it's hard to read harsh comments, we take it as a sign that we are getting noticed, getting the message out there, and respect all the varying viewpoints on this and all issues. Our goal was to inspire action. In doing so, we understand that there is going to be debate and varying opinions,” Claudia said.
Meanwhile, others also oppose opening marine sanctuaries and monuments to oil drilling.
Daniel Hildreth, board chair of Diversified Communications, the parent company of SeafoodSource, urged consumers in a personal guest editorial in the Portland Press Herald to protect marine sanctuaries and monuments, particularly the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument, which includes underwater canyons on the southern edge of Georges Bank.
“Because of their remoteness and difficult topography, they have been relatively free of impacts from commercial fishing, especially bottom trawling,” Hildreth wrote in The Herald. “The marine life within them is quite rich. This rich bottom environment, combined with nutrient upwelling, supports diverse populations of fish, marine mammals and seabirds.”
“Although the Gulf of Maine is an extremely productive ecosystem overall, it is a shadow of what existed four centuries ago. Most of us are familiar with the depletion of fish stocks in recent decades, but this depletion is in fact a continuation of a long trend,” Hildreth added.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra wrote in a letter to NOAA that the federal government should not “waste taxpayer money” on revising the designations of California’s national marine sanctuaries and monuments.
“This latest review…is not only unnecessary, but it is also based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the applicable legal requirements that govern the creation and expansion of marine sanctuaries,” Becerra wrote.
“I strongly oppose any attempt by the Trump Administration to change the boundaries of California's four National Marine Sanctuaries…These sanctuaries were designated and expanded following lengthy consultation with federal, state, tribal, and local governments and enjoy widespread public support. The sanctuaries protect globally significant marine environments and provide substantial economic benefits to local communities from fishing, recreation, and tourism,” Becerra added.
More than 42 million people visit sanctuaries each year, and they generate around USD 8 billion (EUR 6.8 billion) annually to support costal and ocean-dependent economies, according to the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation.
