Diversify Oregon's Blue Economy

Surfrider Foundation is working this legislative session in Oregon to advance a task force to diversify and strengthen smart, sustainable investments in growing the economy and uses around our ocean and estuaries. Economic activities, innovations, and jobs that depend on the ocean, coast, and estuaries are often referred to as the "Blue Economy". Surfrider's efforts this session are targeted at Senate Bill 1525 investments, ensuring that a balanced task force of representation considers economic growth while also maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.

Not all Blue Economy investments are necessarily good for our oceans and coasts. Historically offshore oil and gas drilling, shipping and dredging estuaries for ports and marine construction activities have all been major drivers, and areas of investment, in growing the Blue Economy. But today, we also consider many other sustainable and renewable sectors of this economy as critical if not more important - coastal tourism and recreation and well-managed commercial fishing can be produce more jobs, generate more income and revenue while also preserving our ocean ecosystems. 

Oregon's Blue Economy currently is sorely behind that of our neighboring states, nearly $12B annually behind Washington and over $40B behind that of California. This has prompted Oregon lawmakers to seriously consider making better investments in growing our state's blue economy sectors, thus Senate Bill 1525 was introduced in the 2026 legislative session. Surfrider Foundation sprung into action this session to ensure that didn't happen in a way that invested in non-renewable sectors and diversifies our state's Blue economy sectors from that of our neighbors.

Growing Oregon's Blue Economy doesn't have to mean sacrificing marine ecosystems for development, it can also be about strengthening scientific knowledge, improving sustainable tourism and recreation and even restoring important marine and coastal ecosystems. 

Surfrider has successfully advocated to amend the bill to be more inclusive of sustainable blue economy sectors. Specifically we focused on broadening the stakeholders to include ocean recreation, diversifying fishing group members, the scientific community and including members of the Ocean Policy Advisory committee and Sea Grant. We also worked upon consultation with tribal staff to expand the group to integrate tribal representation. Read our Surfrider testimony here that was direct and to the point...and reflected in the final version of the bill!