June 27, 2025
Oceana in Action
BY: Jessica McLean
While Ocean Action Month is in full swing, our oceans continue to face unprecedented threats. Efforts to roll back critical ocean protections and massive cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have put our oceans in a dangerously vulnerable position.
It’s during times like this that it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture – but even while we face these challenges, we still have progress to celebrate. Let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished together.
RECENT VICTORIES
In Florida, Oceana successfully advocated for a new bipartisan law banning the intentional release of balloons – which studies show are one of the deadliest forms of plastic pollution for marine animals like sea turtles and seabirds.
In Oregon and California, after years of campaigning by Oceana and our partners, both states recently passed new laws banning thicker plastic film bags at grocery store checkouts. These laws build on previous plastic bag bans to better eliminate this deadly type of plastic.
In California, Oceana successfully advocated for whale-safe fishing practices to reduce humpback whale entanglements in commercial crab fishing gear. This included a delayed start and early closure to the commercial Dungeness crab fishery season, along with an increase in ropeless gear to allow fishers to fish during closed periods while eliminating vertical lines in the water.
These state victories help set the foundation for nationwide policy to be possible.
But that’s not all. In October 2024, Amazon announced it has removed all plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging used at its global fulfillment centers – an update from a previous announcement to eliminate all plastic air pillows from North American deliveries by year-end.
KEEPING UP MOMENTUM FOR OUR OCEANS
These victories prove we can make real progress for our oceans, even in challenging times. However, we must keep building momentum as ocean protections are undermined.
Right now, Oceana is campaigning to:
- Save NOAA: The Trump administration recently cut employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the government agency that manages our national fisheries, monitors and forecasts our weather, charts our oceans, and protects our coastal communities and infrastructure.
- Protect our national parks from plastic pollution: The Department of the Interior recently ended a policy to reduce single-use plastics in our national parks and other important public lands.
- Protect our coasts from the dangers of new offshore drilling: The Department of the Interior (DOI) is currently developing a new plan that will determine where the U.S. government will be able to sell leases to oil and gas companies for drilling off the U.S. coasts. The DOI is considering all U.S. waters for potential offshore oil drilling. Yes, you read that right — all areas in the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Gulf of Mexico are on the table, putting them at risk for toxic oil spills.
Whether it’s learning more about Oceana’s campaigns, reaching out to your state lawmakers, or spreading the word to your friends and family – every action counts and every voice matters. Can we count on you this Ocean Action Month to step up?
GET INVOLVED
Learn more about Oceana’s campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans.
Become a Wavemaker to learn about events near you and actions you can take in your state.
Be an ocean hero and make a donation to continue Oceana’s campaigns.