Pacific - West Coast North America

Dr. Rod Fujita teaching a class oceanside.

Meet Our Experts

• Kate Bonzon
  Program Manager, Oceans Enterprise

• David H. Festa
  Vice President, West Coast and Land, Water, Wildlife

• Rod M. Fujita
  Senior Scientist and Director, Ocean Innovations

• Johanna Thomas
  Director of fisheries projects for the Pacific Ocean program

One of the most diverse and prolific marine ecosystems on the planet stretches along the West Coast of North America. Here, lush kelp forests, offshore islands, undersea banks and a rocky intertidal zone teem with life. Millions enjoy these ocean resources and contribute to local and state economies.

The challenge

Unfortunately, polluted runoff, sewage contamination, toxic discharges from offshore oil and gas operations, changes in ocean circulation patterns, and poor fishery management decisions have all contributed to declines in the region's marine environment.

Five national marine sanctuaries stand as a testament to the uniqueness of this coastline and have prevented an expansion of offshore oil and gas development.

Yet these sites have not stemmed the depletion of commercially important species such as rockfish and abalone. Nor have conventional fishery management tools kept pace with the loss of key species in the marine food web, and the rebuilding of weak or overfished stocks with healthier ones. 

We need new approaches to management that give fishermen a stake in fisheries and incentives to conserve fish – this will truly make ecologically and economically sustainable fisheries a reality.

What we're doing

The Pacific Oceans team works to improve conservation while balancing the economic needs of all stakeholders, from fishermen to divers. The team currently concentrates on:

• improving the scientific basis for resource protection and sustainable management of marine resources;
• working with the fishing industry and managers to develop innovative and effective approaches to improved policy;
• creating more sustainable groundfish fisheries through the use of Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs);
• advancing the discussion of market-based fishery management approaches throughout the state of California and its many valuable fisheries; and
• protecting the coast from further oil and gas development while researching sustainable ocean energy options.

Goals

• Develop market-based initiatives aimed at changing the face of fishery management over the long term. This will help recover fish stocks, protect important habitat and enhance the region's economy.
• Establish a network of fishermen, processors, distributors, retailers, restaurant owners, and others in the fishing industry who can work together to increase the profitability of sustainable fishing, and improve the marketing of and demand for its products.
• Develop joint initiatives with the sportfishing community to reach common conservation and scientific goals and to foster innovative restoration projects in the marine environment.
• Build demand among mainstream corporate buyers for seafood produced in a sustainable manner.

Results

• Providing substantive comments to the Pacific Fishery Management Council to ensure the development of a Trawl Individual Quota Program that balances conservation with social and economic concerns.
• Teaming up with California fishermen in the Central Coast and The Nature Conservancy to develop a program that protects the ocean habitat while encouraging economic growth for local fisheries.
• Securing state funding by the California Ocean Protection Council to establish and help capitalize the California Fisheries Fund, a concept developed by EDF in partnership with ShoreBank Enterprise Cascadia. The California Fisheries Fund will provide low-interest loans to fishermen and communities to invest in innovative and sustainable fishing practices and business models.
• Authoring, applying and distributing our Ocean Map Geographic Information System (GIS) to expand our identification of critical fishing, nursery and biodiversity hotspots in California state waters.
• Supporting the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health.

Posted: 08-Jul-2007; Updated: 17-Sep-2008