Peter Baker, manager for the Pew Environment Group's New England Fisheries Campaigns, issued the following statement today in response to the Obama administration's policy announcement on offshore oil and gas drilling.
“Georges Bank off the coast of New England is among the most productive ecosystems on the planet, supporting dozens of commercially viable fish species, marine mammals and other wildlife, and has functioned as a veritable engine of commerce for centuries.
“The biological value of the bank is well known and should be preserved for all the food it provides for our nation and jobs it provides for our fishermen.
“We are opposed to oil and gas drilling on Georges Bank due to its fragility and the potential for tremendous, long-term damage to the ecosystem of any large-scale release of toxic pollutants from oil or gas drilling.”
For statements regarding the Obama administration's announcement of the withdrawal of Bristol Bay from oil drilling and its cautious approach for new U.S. Arctic Ocean leasing, please contact: Ruth Teichroeb, 206.453.2374, rteichroeb@pewtrusts.org.