Make your voice heard! Actions are being considered at the local, state and national level that affect marine animals in the wild and their habitats—as well as the future Seattle Aquarium. Help further our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment by becoming an advocate for our one world ocean and the animals that live there, and the Seattle Aquarium itself.
Actions in the state legislature
We’re working with partners to pass policies in this state legislative session that will help reduce plastic pollution in our ocean, recover the endangered southern resident orcas and address climate change. Read more on our blog, and please contact your legislators to urge them to support these bills! Find your legislators’ email addresses or call 1-800-562-6000 to leave a message for all three of your legislators at once.
Reducing plastic pollution:
- HB 1205/SB 5323: Reusable Bag Bill (eliminating single-use plastic bags).
- HB 2429/SB 6213: Ban on Styrofoam food service products and packaging materials.
- HB 2360: Create an industry-funded stewardship program for the safe disposal of medical sharps.
Orca recovery:
- HB 2549 & HB 2550: Shift to a “net ecological gain” standard to reduce the impacts of development on critical habitat that southern resident orcas and salmon rely upon.
Climate change:
- HB 2311: Update the state’s greenhouse gas emissions limits and emphasize the importance of sequestration in natural landscapes—including marine and coastal habitats.
- HB 1110/SB 5412: Establish a Clean Fuels Standard to reduce pollution from transportation fuels.
Other priorities:
We are supporting the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s Partnership Agenda, which includes:
- HB 1697/SB 5814: Expanding Apple Health coverage until age 26 for low-income young adults.
- HB 1841/SB 5877: Establishing a minimum crew size on trains to ensure there is enough personnel on board to respond to a hazardous material incident.
- The Voting Justice Package: A set of bills to help increase voter access and participation.
Join the movement against single-use plastics!
Plastic pollution is impacting the health of our ocean, rivers, and lakes—and the aquatic animals we love— at an increasing rate. But your everyday decisions have the power to change this. The Seattle Aquarium and other Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) members across the country are working to make the right decisions easier.
We hope you will join us by making a commitment to reduce single-use plastics to make a lasting impact for our ocean. We use these plastic items for a moment, but they last for generations. The solution is in our hands.
- Take our #FirstStep seven-day plastic challenge
- Skip the straw and find alternatives to plastic
- Bring your reusable bag
- Learn how the Aquarium has eliminated single-use plastic
Making our voices heard on ocean policy
Incredibly important decisions that impact ocean health are being made by our elected leaders at the federal, state and local levels. The Aquarium is lending its voice to help influence public policy to ensure stronger protections for our local waters, marine species and the greater ocean.
Whether it is global challenges like climate change, warming waters and ocean plastics, or more local challenges related to the health of our southern resident orcas and salmon populations, it is important we all make our voices heard. Check back often to learn about the issues that the Aquarium is working on or subscribe to our policy & advocacy email list to receive important news on ocean-related policy.
Save Animals from Extinction (SAFE)
As an accredited member of the Assocation of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Seattle Aquarium is proud to partcipate in Save Animals from Extinction (SAFE), a new commitment by the AZA's 229 accredited zoos and aquariums to harness our collective resources and work to save specific endangered species from extinction by restoring healthy populations in the wild. People like you, who visit the Seattle Aquarium and/or other AZA-accredited institutions, are an important element of this critical effort!