location

Delaware

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Recreational Fishing

Tom Raftican

President, The Sportfishing Conservancy

Science

Gary Gysin

President and CEO, Liquid Robotics®

Ports, Maritime & Shipping

Sean Kline

Director of Marine Affairs, Chamber of Shipping of America

Ports, Maritime & Shipping

North Atlantic Ports Association

Conservation

Matt Gove

Mid-Atlantic Policy Manager, Surfrider Foundation

Renewable Energy

Stephanie McLellan

Director, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind

Renewable Energy

Liz Burdock

Executive Director, Business Network for Offshore Wind

Ports, Maritime & Shipping

Capt. Stephen Roberts

Pilots’ Association for the Bay & River Delaware

"Ensuring the safety of our mariners, the environment and the security of our industries"
Commercial Fishing

John Williamson

Sea Keeper Fishery Consulting

"Building on the cultural heritage of our commercial fishing industry"
Ports, Maritime & Shipping

Jason Kelly

Executive Vice President, Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc.

"Largest independent steamship agency in North America"
Aquaculture

Bob Rheault

Executive Director, East Coast Shellfish Growers Association

"Growing opportunities for shellfish growers"
Ports, Maritime & Shipping

Carleen Lyden-Kluss

Executive Director & Co-Founder, NAMEPA

"Shipping industry leader preserving the marine environment"

Why We Need Ocean Planning

The ocean and coasts are active places, and we’re putting more demands on them every day. Think about it: traditional uses such as fishing, boating, shipping, recreation, and tourism are all changing and expanding, and at the same time we’re pioneering new industries alongside them like wind energy and sand mining. Ocean planning is about thinking ahead and planning for how to make it all work. Otherwise, we put the ocean’s vast, yet fragile, resources at risk. Voluntary ocean planning allows us to coordinate all these uses in a way that benefits our economy, our communities, and ocean health. Ocean planning is a science-based and data-driven process that provides a tool for people and government to work together, share information and solve problems in a way that works for everyone. Ocean planning helps to identify and resolve potential conflicts early on, helping decision makers and stakeholders in both the private and public sectors do their jobs better. This creates better outcomes for everyone, supporting a healthy ocean and vibrant economy

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