"The Obama administration called Thursday for a comprehensive national system for regulating the use of federal waters along the nation’s marine and Great Lakes shores, now administered by a hodgepodge of federal, state or other agencies with often-conflicting goals.

The recommendation, outlined in an interim report by a panel appointed in June by President Obama, said regulators should consider marine regions as a whole when issuing rules rather than, say, regulating fishing one species at a time.

It also said they should keep the health of marine ecosystems in mind when allocating particular activities in particular places, like fishing, shipping or energy. "

Cornelia Dean reports for the New York Times September 17, 2009. [2]