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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Pietro Parravano is the former
long time president of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Pacific</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Coast</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Federation of
Fishermens’ Associations and is a world leader on fisheries issues.</span><o:p></o:p></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Opinion:
Oceans are an urgent item for the next president<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><b><font size=4
color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:black;font-weight:bold'>San Jose</span></font></b></st1:City></st1:place><b><font
size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:black;font-weight:bold'> Mercury News – 11/5/08<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'>By
Pietro Parravano<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:14.0pt'><i><font size=4 color=black
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;
font-style:italic'>Pietro Parravano is a salmon fisherman from Half Moon Bay,
president of the Institute for Fisheries Resources and commissioner for the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Joint</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Ocean</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
Commission Initiative.</span></font></i><i><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>There was a time not long ago when coastal
communities from <st1:State w:st="on">Alaska</st1:State> to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Maine</st1:State></st1:place> enjoyed the rich heritage and
prosperity of a thriving fishing industry. As a young fisherman growing up in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Half</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Moon</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, I witnessed some of
the most plentiful salmon fishing the West Coast had ever seen.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>It saddens me to say those days have
passed. Pollution, mismanagement, loss of habitat and new threats from climate
change have severely damaged not only my livelihood, but also the amount of
seafood on your dinner table.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>All hope is not lost at sea, however.
Despite the countless abuses our waters have endured over the past few decades,
oceans are surprisingly resilient and can recover. With proper oversight,
guided by strong science and adequate funding, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place> can ensure that our
oceans continue to provide valuable resources not only for us, but also for our
grandchildren. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>After a long period of neglect, oceans are
returning to the forefront of policymakers' minds.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>President Bush recently addressed the
ocean community to celebrate the opening of the Smithsonian's Ocean Hall in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place>
He commended the Smithsonian and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration for educating the public, and he acknowledged my work with salmon
fisheries here in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>,
emphasizing that even ordinary citizens like me can have an impact.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>The president's address and the opening of
the Ocean Hall demonstrate strong national momentum for better ocean
management. This momentum also exists on the regional and state levels.
Recently, Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ted Kulongoski (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>) and Chris Gregoire (Washington)
released the action plan of the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean
Health. Additionally, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:State></st1:place>
recently passed a groundbreaking plan that requires state leaders to coordinate
coastline management. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>With a national movement in place, it is
up to the new White House leadership to keep it going. We have a long road
ahead of us. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>First, we must better understand the challenges.
No one knows definitively what caused the decline in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> salmon population. Most
biologists see a combination land-based pollution, water diversions, damaged
habitat and ocean conditions. To revitalize our fisheries, we must look deeper.
Federally supported research and maintenance of ocean monitoring systems are
key to understanding the connections between land and sea.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Increasing public awareness is also
critical, which is why the Smithsonian's Ocean Hall is a stellar
accomplishment. Many Americans are aware of the decline in our nation's
fisheries. However, many don't recognize how ocean conditions and land-based
pollution affect the entire nation, from the food we eat to the beaches we
enjoy to the economy upon which we depend. Ocean-related industries generate
$138 billion for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place> every year. Saving our oceans and
fisheries is a bigger task than any one state or region can accomplish. The
problems are symptoms of an unbalanced ecosystem and are urgent calls for
coordinated and well-funded action at the state, regional and national level. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>All of us have a duty to be good stewards
of our oceans. The Smithsonian Ocean Hall, the West Coast Governors' plan and
the Massachusetts Oceans Act are a good start. And as a fisherman, I urge the
next administration to continue this momentum and make this collaborative,
bipartisan effort a success.</span></font><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Byron</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, JCT</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810 cell</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a>
(secondary)</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a href="http://fotr.org">http://fotr.org</a>
</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"></a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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