AN OVERVIEW OF THE GULF OF MEXICO PROGRAM INITIATIVES IN RELATION TO SEAFOOD

waste at sea. The large turnout of concerned citizens made it clear that the public was interested in the well-being of the Gulf of Mexico. The response of these citizens, coupled with indications of environmental degradation in the Gulf, prompted the EPA, Region 4, to propose a Gulf-wide strategy termed “the Gulf Initiative. ” The intent of this initiative was to identify Gulf-wide problems and set goals and research needs while developing a strategy to respond to those problems. During an initial Gulf Initiative Workshop held in Gulf Shores, Alabama in August of 1986, 59 persons, representing a broad spectrum of organizations concerned with marine pollution, identified critical issues and activities causing problems in the Gulf, made recommendations for a program management structure, and provided a strong consensus that such a program was needed. In August of 1988, the Gulf of Mexico Program was established as an intergovernmental program at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi under the sponsorship of the EPA. On December 10, 1992, eleven federal agencies, the governors of all five Gulf Coastal states and the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) chairman, signed an agreement for cooperation to build the support and obtain the resources necessary to meet nine environmental challenges within five years and to attain the long-term goal of protecting the Gulf of Mexico. Those federal agencie