The US National Ocean Policy: Priorities, Benefits, and Limitations in the Insular Pacific

Abstract

We all share the ocean as a commons—the actions of any nation in the region directly impact the productivity and resource potential of every other nation. This is true with fisheries, with other marine natural resources, and even with security and maritime sovereignty. While the notion of ecosystem-based management within America is a noble goal, we must not forget the principal species of interest in the region, for commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries are highly migratory. Truly changing the paradigm with respect to fisheries, and ocean resource management as a whole, requires a collective effort of all parties. One nation can make a difference in how they interact with the environment, but the full Pacific community must work together to tackle our shared problems if we all expect to continue extracting benefit from the ocean for generations to come.

The new National Ocean Policy is a big step forward for the United States in how it manages and preserves its resources. Achieving that benefits proposed in the Policy will require careful consideration and collaboration between federal agencies, engagement of all maritime stakeholder communities on the adopting of new marine spatial plans, and sustained and suitable funding from the US Congress to advance critical initiatives, actions, and regulatory changes. If successfully implemented, the Policy has the potential to radically change the interactions of many nations with our collective ocean commons, something that provides direct domestic benefit to all coastal states, and indirect benefit to the world as a whole.