Ocean Policy Roundtable

The Florida Ocean Policy Roundtable convened in 1997 as part of Florida's efforts to lay groundwork for the comprehensive, coordinated management of the state's ocean resources. The purpose of the roundtable meetings was to:

· initiate discussion at the state level concerning ocean resource management in Florida;

· identify current and potential problems and conflicts that result from the existing management regime; and

· target priority issues that need to be addressed by the state as it develops a comprehensive state ocean resource management strategy.

Invited by the Executive Office of the Governor and the Florida Coastal Management Program, the roundtable was comprised of state agency representatives, maritime industry professionals, and technical experts. The participants discussed numerous issues surrounding the use and protection of Florida's marine resources, including marine habitat, water quality, fisheries management, oil and gas development, boating and marine recreation, as well as marine legal and policy issues and conservation and protection considerations.

During the initial roundtable meeting, participants were asked to identify what marine resource issues might best be addressed through a comprehensive ocean strategy. A wide range of issues was identified, including both land-based and offshore concerns. Subsequent work included refining the issues and narrowing the scope to maintain a focus on "deep blue water" resources. The ocean issues were organized into a matrix to reflect the major issues, their related subissues, existing management authorities, and potential conflicts.

After the initial identification and organization of the major ocean issues, participants prioritized the major issue categories and commented on every aspect of the matrix, including its organization, the accuracy of the identified management tools and authorities, identification of perceived problems and potential conflicts, and potential data sources.

The resulting final report, Identification of Potential Issues and Conflicts Concerning Florida's Blue Water
Resources is organized as follows:

Governance

· Federal and State Authority to Establish Protected Areas

· Public Trust

· Private Property Rights

· Jurisdictional Boundaries

· Military Exclusion Zones

Marine Environment

· Marine Habitat

· Living Marine Resources

· Water Quality/ Water Quantity

· Protected Areas

· Cultural Resources

· Atmospheric and Oceanographic Influences

Human Uses

· Ocean Energy

· Marine Minerals

· Ports

· Marine Recreation

Further, for each issue the report provides information regarding:

· legal and managerial authorities

· use conflicts

· ecological considerations

· need for governmental coordination

· public health concerns

· education/enforcement

· economic considerations

Of the many issues identified as important and in need of consideration, fisheries management and marine habitat, the development of ocean energy resources, and marine pollution were identified as priority issue areas.

The work begun by the roundtable provides a valuable resource for the Florida Governor's Ocean Committee in its work to develop a comprehensive strategy for managing the state's ocean resources.