Ocean Scientists and Experts Available for Interviews on Activities Related to Pew Oceans Commission's Report Recommendations - Oceana

Ocean Scientists and Experts Available for Interviews on Activities Related to Pew Oceans Commission’s Report Recommendations

Press Release Date: October 6, 2009

Location: Washington

Contact:

Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter

WHAT: Oceana policy directors and scientists  are available expand and put into context the recommendations made by the Pew Oceans Commission report on the state of the oceans and what exactly must be done to make these recommendations a reality.  The report, “America’s Living Oceans:  Charting a Course for Sea Change,” will be released on June 4, 2003, at a 9:30 media conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

WHEN: Immediately

HOW: Please call Bianca DeLille at 202-833-3900 or 202-904-9046 or Adam Hurtubise at 617-723-7350 or 617 448-4916 to arrange interviews. 

WHO: Jackie Savitz, Oceana senior scientist and director of pollution programs, is available to comment and expand on the subject of marine pollution issues including toxics, beach water quality and Oceana’s new campaign to stop cruise pollution. Cruise ships are needlessly dumping vast amounts of raw sewage and other harmful wastes into some of the most pristine parts of our oceans every day.

Phil Kline, fishing policy program director and a commercial fisherman of 26 years, is available to discuss the impact of destructive fishing gear, particularly bottom trawling gear from the fisherman as well as policy perspective.  Bottom trawls destroy complex marine habitat and remove the nurseries where fish can grow and replenish our fisheries.

 Dr. Michael Hirshfield, Oceana’s chief scientist, is available to discuss how the way fish are caught is contributing to the loss of fish. Dirty fishing practices, where hundreds of thousands of fish are inadvertently caught and thrown away, needlessly depletes fisheries and kills other marine life.

WHY: The Pew Oceans Commission report describes threats to our oceans and provides detailed recommendations to address these problems.  Oceana staff is working to address destructive fishing and pollution threats throughout the U.S.  They can provide details about how some of these problems can be solved and what they are doing to stop these threats.