Oceana Mission Statement

The non-profit organization Oceana has worked to protect and restore the world’s oceans since 2001 with a focus on international conservation. Their mission statement is as follows:

Oceans cover 71 percent of the globe, and they are as important to us as they are vast. Our oceans are home to most of the life on our planet and play a central role in the world's natural systems…They provide livelihoods to countless fishermen and others…they also feed hundreds of millions of people…Unfortunately, the oceans are in trouble… [but] we know how to fix things. Science-based fishery management…is helping the oceans rebound and recover where it is established. Oceana is dedicated to advocating for science-based fishery management and restoring the world's

The oceans are vast, they admit, but not vast enough to be “immune to human influence.” (“What We Do”). Through campaigns, they advocate for biodiversity, restoration, and protection of habitat to create policies in various countries that catch the world’s seafood. To stop overfishing, they campaign for policies that will establish catch limits and reduce “illegal, unreported, and unregulated” fishing practices as well as reduce fishing subsidies that bring the environment harm (“What We Do”). By doing this, Oceana is protecting a valuable food source and securing jobs for a sustainable future. The main source of pollution in the ocean that Oceana tackles is plastic pollution. They call on governments to regulate single-use plastics, on businesses to find alternatives, and on consumers to use reusable bags (“What We Do”). They believe it is just as important for consumers to make ocean-friendly day-to-day decisions as it is for the government to pass legislation to protect the 71% of the globe that is covered in ocean

They are primarily concerned with ocean acidification, global warming, pollution, and overfishing (Jones). Like Oceana, they use science-based, long-term solutions to protect the oceans and the marine animals that live in them. Their goal is a healthy ocean for the current generation of humans and the generations to come (Jones). They understand that “a healthy ocean means a healthy planet” (Jones). To combat ocean acidification, Ocean Conservancy works with local and regional leaders to reduce carbon emissions and spread awareness. They work to end overfishing by spreading awareness of the implications the continued unsustainable fishing America now employs would have on the economy. To solve the ocean plastic crisis, Ocean Conservancy has, with the help of volunteers, picked up nearly 230 million pounds of trash off of beaches in the last three decades (Jones). Unfortunately, the problem goes much farther than visible trash on the beach. According to Ocean Conservancy, “8 million metric tons of plastic is entering our ocean every year”, which is why they feel so strongly that plastic pollution must be curbed. They call on consumers to “skip the straw”, as straws are one of their most picked up types of trash. Beyond volunteer work, Ocean Conservancy has worked with businesses and individuals to change their “products, practices, and behaviors” that exacerbate the problem (Jones). They believe a