Goods News re: Arctic Fishing and Hawaiian Monk Seal

Whether it's due to a sincere interest in conservation or the need for a lame duck administration to establish a favorable legacy, the federal government has taken positive action lately on two oceanic fronts, separated by thousands of miles:

• Oceana reports that the federal government has enacted a policy to halt expansion of commercial fishing in Arctic waters and will continue to support international efforts to do the same, hoping to ultimately reach international agreement on the effective management of commercial fishing throughout the Arctic Ocean. Arctic ecology is already being impacted by the effects of climate change; potential changes to the populations of Arctic marine species do not need to be exacerbated by industrial commercial fishing operations. Read the complete press release.

• According to the Ocean Conservancy, the federal government is preparing to expand the protected area for the Hawaiian Monk Seal, one of the most threatened of all marine mammals. Currently protected in the northwestern Islands, the seal's protected territory could be expanded to include the main islands where a healthier population exists. Read the complete press release.

It feels good to post some encouraging news from time to time!