Tell Congress to Protect Our Oceans
Our oceans are in serious decline. Overfishing, marine habitat destruction, coastal development, and pollution are pushing our ocean systems to the brink of collapse.
Urge your Representative to support strong marine protections. Ocean fisheries have significant effects on ocean ecosystems and are integral to national and coastal economies. That's why these activities have to be carefully managed.
In recent years, two national commissions have recommended strengthening marine protections. However, no action has been taken by the Federal Government to address this growing problem.
Rather than building on the strengths of the current law, Congress is considering weakening longstanding safeguards, which would increase serious environmental threats to ocean fish and marine ecosystems.
Congress needs to know that we care about the health of our oceans and want them to oppose efforts to weaken marine protections.
Dear Representative:
I care about the health of our oceans and ask that you oppose any efforts to weaken marine protections. Two national commissions have recommended strengthening marine protections, yet some policy makers are trying to undercut important conservation measures in current law.
[your comment here]
Weakening existing requirements to protect and restore depleted fish populations would delay and jeopardize the recovery of vulnerable fish populations. This would harm the oceans and fishing communities. Furthermore, waiving essential requirements for public participation in fishery management decisions would eliminate important opportunities for local communities to have a say in federal actions affecting their lives and livelihoods.
I urge you to oppose any attempts to weaken conservation measures or eliminate the requirement that fishery managers assess the environmental impacts of fishery management decisions and give the public a say in the assessment process.
Thank you for considering these comments. The health of our oceans and coastal communities depends on your support.
Sincerely,
[your name]
[your address]
