Last Friday, we had the opportunity to present testimony directly to the first public hearings of the President's Task Force (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/ for both details of the work of the task Force and to locate our written submission). The afternoon was a fascinating experience - there is an a huge public interest in the future of Alaska's oceans as evidenced by the >400 attendees!
With more than 60 public speakers, we were restricted to just 3 mins and so our comments were necessarily short! My comments were focused on (a) ocean literacy and (b) the challenges of not allowing aquaria to access stimulus funds.... the text if my comments is provided below...
Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force
Listening Session
Anchorage 21 August, 2009
Comments by Ian Dutton
President and CEO, Alaska SeaLife Center
Madam Chair, Distinguished Task Force members,
The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska. We achieve our mission through research, rehabilitation, conservation, and public education.
We previously made a submission to the Interagency Task Force related to Ocean Zoning/Marine Spatial Planning.
Today, I’d like to amplify two particular points in relation to that submission.
Firstly, in relation to the complex issues we are addressing here today. We believe, and our research here in Alaska supports that belief, that there is a genuine lack of public understanding of our oceans and of their importance to the quality of life we enjoy. This lack of ocean literacy is both a major impediment to the ability of the public to engage in a process such as this and an impediment to improved ocean management generally. Funding for programs that address that need at a meaningful level are currently ad hoc and insufficient. For example, in partnership with the Anchorage School District and private donors, we have conducted a Sea Train marine education program over the past 5 years that has provided instruction to some 10,000 5th grade students in South Central Alaska. Due to budget restrictions this year that program has had to been cut back to less than 250 students. We urge the Task Force to give priority to rapidly upgrading ocean literacy in Alaska and America generally and point out the unique role played by aquaria in providing an insight into otherwise inaccessible marine life.
My second point relates to the first – as the Task Force may be aware, aquaria are specifically prohibited from receiving any stimulus funding. That has made it very difficult to compete for research, education and conservation infrastructure such as the innovative ocean thermal energy project that we have ready to go and which would enable us to achieve massive fuel oil and carbon savings and demonstrate a new renewable energy technology for Alaska. We find it unacceptable that a museum or even a visitor center in a National Park is not subject to the same restrictions. We urge the Task Force to employ its influence to ensure that aquaria operate on a “level playing field” with other educational institutions to help us promote the ocean literacy which must underpin any improvements in ocean governance.
Listening Session
Anchorage 21 August, 2009
Comments by Ian Dutton
President and CEO, Alaska SeaLife Center
Madam Chair, Distinguished Task Force members,
The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska. We achieve our mission through research, rehabilitation, conservation, and public education.
We previously made a submission to the Interagency Task Force related to Ocean Zoning/Marine Spatial Planning.
Today, I’d like to amplify two particular points in relation to that submission.
Firstly, in relation to the complex issues we are addressing here today. We believe, and our research here in Alaska supports that belief, that there is a genuine lack of public understanding of our oceans and of their importance to the quality of life we enjoy. This lack of ocean literacy is both a major impediment to the ability of the public to engage in a process such as this and an impediment to improved ocean management generally. Funding for programs that address that need at a meaningful level are currently ad hoc and insufficient. For example, in partnership with the Anchorage School District and private donors, we have conducted a Sea Train marine education program over the past 5 years that has provided instruction to some 10,000 5th grade students in South Central Alaska. Due to budget restrictions this year that program has had to been cut back to less than 250 students. We urge the Task Force to give priority to rapidly upgrading ocean literacy in Alaska and America generally and point out the unique role played by aquaria in providing an insight into otherwise inaccessible marine life.
My second point relates to the first – as the Task Force may be aware, aquaria are specifically prohibited from receiving any stimulus funding. That has made it very difficult to compete for research, education and conservation infrastructure such as the innovative ocean thermal energy project that we have ready to go and which would enable us to achieve massive fuel oil and carbon savings and demonstrate a new renewable energy technology for Alaska. We find it unacceptable that a museum or even a visitor center in a National Park is not subject to the same restrictions. We urge the Task Force to employ its influence to ensure that aquaria operate on a “level playing field” with other educational institutions to help us promote the ocean literacy which must underpin any improvements in ocean governance.
Thank you for the opportunity to give these inputs – we’d welcome the opportunity to show you our cutting edge work when next you come to Alaska.
