Finding Common Ground On Ocean Floor

A couple of weeks ago, with an abundance of good faith, the National Aquarium submitted a proposal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to consider establishing a national marine sanctuary in the Baltimore Canyon, 70 miles off Ocean City’s shores.

A mile beneath the surface, the Canyon is home to ancient deep-sea corals and cold methane seeps, which support a rich food web that’s irresistible to migrating sportfish and billfish. Aware that invasive practices like oil drilling or gas fracking could wipe out this ancient ecosystem, we joined others who wanted to provide better protection against such assaults by seeking its designation as a national marine sanctuary. With good intentions, we reached out to some members of Ocean City’s fishing and recreation community to discuss the idea and hear their views. Regrettably, I believe our efforts fell short, and numerous leaders have since expressed strong concerns about the wisdom of such a designation.

I take full responsibility for this miscommunication, and, as a former commercial fisherman myself, want to stress three important points to those in the fishing community who have concerns: We hear you; we want only what’s best for Maryland; and we stand ready to work with you to figure out how to best meet the important goal of preserving fragile treasures like the Baltimore Canyon. Please allow me to briefly address each of these points.

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