U.S. Gets a 'C-' on Protecting Oceans - AP

U.S. Gets a 'C-' on Protecting Oceans


WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007
By ANDREW MIGA Associated Press Writer

(AP) The United States made modest progress on protecting its oceans last year,
but still needs to boost funding for desperately needed reforms, a commission
on ocean policy said Tuesday.

Overall, the U.S. earned a "C-" grade from the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative,
a collaboration between the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the privately
funded Pew Oceans Commission. That was a slight improvement over a "D+" grade
on the commission's report card for 2005.

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The joint commission praised Congress and the Bush administration for winning
passage of "long-overdue" federal fisheries reform, but warned that more needs
to be done. Bush's designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine
National Monument will help protect nearly 140,000 square miles of islands,
atolls and oceans, the panel added.

But strides made last year to safeguard the nation's imperiled oceans were undercut
by a lack of funding at all levels of government, the panel warned. Education,
research and international leadership also need to be substantially improved, the
commission said.

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