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5 Primal Laws That Protect Our Ocean

Ocean stewardship depends on these vital laws

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©Pixabay

The sea shapes the The states in a myriad of profound means. To the e, the lord's day'south rays rise over the Atlantic and light our coastline from the cold waters of Maine downward to the warm sands of Puerto Rico. To the due west, the great Pacific Ocean crashes on U.Southward. shores from Guam and Hawaii to California and Alaska. To the s, the Gulf of Mexico defines life for people from Texas to Florida. And to the far n, the Arctic Body of water laps at the anxiety of communities that have relied on body of water resources since time immemorial.

We depend—deeply—on the ocean: for livelihoods, food, recreation, climate regulation, and cultural and spiritual wellness. No single U.S. law covers all ocean issues. Instead, various laws piece of work together to safeguard the ocean's resources, its environmental integrity and the lives that depend on it. Hither are five of the most important:

1. MSA

Sardines fish school in ocean
©Richard Carey/Fotolia

In 1976, Congress passed the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, or MSA. At a time when governments began to recognize the impacts of severe overfishing worldwide, the MSA established a 200-mile zone out from the shore to protect U.Southward. fisheries and more effectively regulate fish stocks in federal waters. Under the MSA, viii regional fisheries direction councils establish fishery management plans with sustainability goals in mind. This law helps to ensure sustainable angling in U.S. waters, in role past preventing overfishing and rebuilding overfished stocks.

2. MMPA

Marilyn London-Ewing
©Marilyn London-Ewing

The Marine Mammal Protection Deed of 1972, the MMPA, makes it illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill protected marine mammals, with some exceptions. Congress enacted the law in response to a severe decrease in marine mammal populations like orca, blue whales, sea lions and polar bears. The MMPA holds private individuals and regime agencies responsible for ensuring that their actions will not lead to the harming of marine mammals. 1 important exception allows subsistence hunting of marine mammals and traditional handicraft by Alaskan natives, preserving a style of life that has existed on this continent for far longer than our own country.

three. CZMA

337-Lights and Sprays
©Jay Huang

The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 encourages collaboration between Land governments and the federal government "to preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance, the resources of the Nation's coastal zone for this and succeeding generations." The CZMA provides federal funding for states with an approved Coastal Zone Management Plan. Armed with an canonical plan, states act as stewards of the littoral zone with the power to halt federal actions inconsistent with their Programme. These Plans create an added level of protection for coastal regions and give states a more powerful vocalization in maintaining coastal integrity.

four. CWA

OIL SPILL
©Cheryl Gerber

The Clean Water Act (CWA) has prohibited the discharge of oil or hazardous substances into most U.Southward. waters, including the ocean since 1972. Using the CWA, the regime tin can penalize companies for polluting the ocean. For example, after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, the government collected an unprecedented $5.5 billion in CWA penalties from BP. The CWA, along with other laws, similar the Human activity on Prevention of Pollution from Ships, the Oil Pollution Human action and the Body of water Dumping Act, helps to protect the bounding main from major sources of pollution.

v. NEPA

w144 - overall - Kyle McBurnie
©Kyle McBurnie

The National Ecology Policy Act of 1969, or NEPA, forces government agencies to analyze the environmental furnishings of major federal actions that are likely to have a meaning touch on on the surroundings. This includes not just direct bureau actions but as well actions taken under bureau permits. NEPA non only makes federal agencies have a hard look at the environmental effects of their actions, only also—through public observe and commenting requirements—gives the public the opportunity to vocalization our concerns and to scrutinize bureau decisions.

Of course, none of these laws is any good without the right regulation and enforcement by the regime. Bounding main Conservancy works hard to ensure that these laws are followed past individuals, industry and the government itself. Now more than than always we need strong laws like these to protect the sea and nosotros demand a government and people willing to stand up and enforce them.

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