What If the Oceans Were National Parks? [BARF]

The Atlantic ^ | 6/29/15 | MATT THOMPSON

[markomalley]

Next year will mark the centennial of the U.S. National Park Service. In the 100 years since it was established, the national parks have become one of America’s most popular federal programs. Now, marine scientists and conservationists want to do for the oceans what the National Park Service did for the land.

When the National Park Service was proposed, “it was a really crazy notion,” said Jane Lubchenco, prominent marine scientist and former administrator of NOAA, to an audience at the Aspen Ideas Festival. “It was so far from people’s thinking that wilderness was important to protect in and of itself.” Parks and other wilderness now define the American landscape, Lubchenco said. Today, she said, we think about the oceans the way we thought about wilderness 100 years ago, when few Americans had ever visited Yosemite or Yellowstone.

“Fourteen percent of land—all around the world, all countries—is set aside in some kind of protected status,” Lubchenco said. The equivalent for oceans? 3.4 percent, according to the World Database on Protected Areas. And of that, Lubchenco pointed out, only one percent is fully closed off from extractive activities such as fishing.

[golux]

[a fool in paradise]

Then it would close WWII veteran memorials, erect gay historic site markers, and banning confederate flags as close to the ocean as it could.

[hosepipe]

The price of seafood would sky rocket,,

[Ben Mugged]

Whose nation? The oceans are international zones by international treaty. Here go those “globalization” morons again. I guess they want us to give up our rights to the ocean’s bounty.

[The Toll]

Freedom anywhere must be regulated.

[Vince Ferrer]

Must be some oil or natural gas out there.

[Colorado Doug]

I suppose that ships would no longer be allowed on them. Swimming by permit only and forget about taking a picture of one. Jurisdiction would soon creep up the rivers and into every waterway, no matter how small.

[Iron Munro]

The price of seafood would sky rocket

[Colorado Doug]

The National Park Service would soon be in everyone’s bathtubs, declaring them Wilderness areas.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

We have them on a state level in California.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Life_Protection_Act

[Lorianne]

George Bush already did this: Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papah%C4%81naumoku%C4%81kea_Marine_National_Monument The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (originally named the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument) is a World Heritage listed, U.S. National Monument encompassing 140,000 square miles (360,000 km2) (an area larger than the country of Germany) of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, internationally recognized for both its cultural and natural values as follows:

[Lorianne]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papah%C4%81naumoku%C4%81kea_Marine_National_Monument

[5thGenTexan]

Then I could park my RV on them for free.

[R_Kangel]

"What If the Oceans Were National Parks? ...."

..... Well ..... If they were .... most of us would be under water.....