What is Ocean Champions Voter Fund?

Oceans are in peril as never before and require immediate political attention, according to recent reports by both the independent Pew Oceans Commission and the federally-sanctioned U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy.

The release of these reports, as well as new scientific evidence on the dramatic decline of large ocean fishes and other ocean wildlife, presents an unequaled moment in time to pursue a bold ocean conservation agenda in the halls of Congress and in state legislatures.

Unfortunately, while the ocean conservation movement is strongly advocating for change, it currently lacks the necessary political power to achieve such broad-scale reform.

Recognizing that a major part of building such political power is the ability to educate the voting public about political issues affecting the ocean, leading ocean conservationists formed Ocean Champions Voter Fund, the first-ever "527" issue-advocacy political organization focused solely on oceans and ocean wildlife.

Ocean Champions Voter Fund raises the profile of oceans as a political issue by using issue advocacy to create a political environment where protecting and restoring the oceans is a priority of federal and state governments.

Ocean Champions Voter Fund focuses on segments of the population that no other political organization has targeted: ocean users such as divers, surfers, sailors, and recreational fishermen, as well as other groups that directly benefit from their connection to the ocean such as the tourist industry, outfitters, boat manufacturers, etc.

These groups of individuals are typically not reached by traditional environmental voter initiatives and remain a largely untapped constituency with potentially great political power.