SUQUAMISH — Leaders from around the world, representing local, state, federal and Native governments, as well as businesses, joined together Dec. 14 to form the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification.
Members of the alliance will work collaboratively and individually to take actions in order to combat ocean acidification and changing ocean conditions, as well as reduce future impacts to our coastal communities, economies and the health of our oceans.
“The impacts of the past 200 years of burning fossil fuels have a documented, physical and real impact on our environment in the form of ocean acidification,” Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman said in an alliance announcenent.
“The Suquamish Tribe is in full support of making local and regional efforts to stop the damage that ocean acidification is having on our marine waters that have provided food for our sustenance and trade economy for thousands of years. This will affect us and all of the residents of Puget Sound and the Washington coast. Now is the time to join the other states, Tribal nations and local governments that live and depend on the Pacific Ocean for their cultural identity and way of life to develop a strategy of altering our behavior to help our ecosystems by altering damaging practices. In the spirit our great leader Chief Seattle, we must learn to never forget this beautiful world that gave us being.”
Scientists have found that ocean acidification resulting from greenhouse gas emissions has increased 30 percent and is expected to double over pre-industrial levels by the end of the 21st century, according to the alliance. “The oceans are the primary protein source for 2.6 billion people, and support $2.5 trillion of economic activity each year,” the alliance reported. “However, drastic changes are occurring in our oceans – from oyster hatchery die-offs to coral reef bleaching – that are being felt by coastal communities around the world.”
Alliance members will work to further five goals:
- Advance scientific understanding of ocean acidification
- Take meaningful actions to reduce causes of acidification
- Protect the environment and coastal communities from impacts of a changing ocean
- Expand public awareness and understanding of acidification, and
- Build sustained support for addressing this global problem
Initial members of the alliance include the Quileute Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Suquamish Tribe, and the states of Washington, Oregon and California. Alliance affiliates include Ocean Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy and Monterey Bay Aquarium. A full list of members can be found at www.OAAlliance.org.
