Vol. 1, No. 3
Headline Back Issues
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GOMC Business Advisory Committee Portland, Maine - New England business leaders were scheduled to meet here September 17 to discuss how they can participate in the Gulf of Maine Council's stewardship efforts on behalf of the marine environment. "We would welcome any input from any business, whether or not they were able to attend our September meeting," said David Haney, New Hampshire's private-sector representative to the Gulf of Maine Council and chair of the Council's Business Advisory Committee (BAC). Haney is employed by BankBoston. The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC) is a public-private partnership formed in 1989 by the governors and premiers of three US states, two Canadian provinces, and both countries' federal governments. It convenes public and private sector entities, non-governmental organizations, and members of the scientific and education communities to promote the sustainable use of the Gulf's resources and those of its 69,115-square-mile (165,185-square-kilometer) watershed, which encompasses all of Maine and parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Some Council projects include Gulfwatch, a marine monitoring program in which blue mussels are analyzed for contaminants to assess water quality throughout the Gulf, and the Electronic Data Information Management System (EDIMS), which makes data on the Gulf available to researchers, educators, and others via an Internet site. The Council established the BAC earlier this year. To date, the committee's activities have focused on exchanging ideas and information with Council representatives, and identifying the most meaningful role for these businesses in Council activities. Distinctive ecology valuable The Gulf of Maine's unique geographic features promote rich nutrient growth in its marine environment, sustaining productive fisheries that have been the keystone of many US and Canadian communities, along with other important marine-related industries. The Gulf is also home to several endangered species and includes numerous sensitive habitat areas. All of these elements combine to create an economic livelihood and a distinctive cultural and natural heritage within a delicately balanced ecosystem. Despite the potential for conflict between business development and environmental stewardship, the two can coexist, and, in fact, depend upon each other to a great degree, according to Haney. Speaking at a June meeting in New Hampshire hosted by BAC member Sprague Energy, Haney said, "The businesses on our committee, and eventually all regional businesses, have come to respect the healthy relationship between good business strategy and the health and wealth of the Gulf of Maine." Current BAC members include Maine-based Champion International Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Corp- oration, Great Northern Paper, Inc., James River Corporation, Portland Pipeline Corporation, and Waste Management Disposal Services; New Hampshire companies PSNH/Northeast Utilities, Sprague Energy, Tyco International Ltd., and Wheelabrator Environmental Systems Inc.; and Massachusetts-based BankBoston and Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc. Other commercial enterprises in the US who have expressed interest in joining the BAC or otherwise participating in Council activities include Massachusetts Port Authority, Polaroid Corporation, Raytheon, and Toxikon of Massa-chusetts; Fisher Scientific International, Fleet Financial Services, Inc., Foss Man-ufacturing, Textron Automotive Interiors, and the Timberland Company of New Hampshire; and Merrill Industries, Inc. of Maine. In April, an informational session for businesses in Saint John, New Bruns-wick focused on the role of Atlantic Canada's private sector in the Council's efforts. Edward McLean, New Brunswick's private-sector representative to the Council and president of Connors Bros. Ltd., a seafood processing company in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, hosted more than a dozen Canadian business representatives at that gathering. |
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Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine