Groups join ocean coalition

REGION

Fourteen New Hampshire groups have joined a coalition of more than 300 groups from around the country to protect the oceans and life within them.

The Granite State groups include environmental, faith-based, sustainable energy and animal rights organizations, in addition to the state chapter of the League of Women Voters.

The umbrella group, the Conserve Our Ocean Legacy Campaign, is a national effort to educate the public and build support for ocean and fish protections.

In addition, the campaign calls for:

– Establishing conservation of ocean ecosystems as the primary responsibility of fisheries management.

– Requiring ecologically sustainable fishing practices to stop over fishing and rebuild depleted fish populations.

– Reforming the institutions responsible for managing fisheries to ensure that their decisions reflect the needs of the entire ecosystem.