California has Nation's Largest Ocean Economy

Published Jul 28, 2005 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

California's ocean industries generated $42.9 billion in 2000, giving it the nation's largest "ocean economy," according to a report. The ocean economy also provided 408,000 jobs five years ago and $11.4 billion in wages and salaries, according to a California Resources Agency study. The report underscores the coast's economic value in supporting state efforts to cut coastal pollution, conserve marine life, and protect beaches and other natural resources. The findings provide "California with strong evidence that its unique ocean and coastal resources are important to sustaining California's economy," the study said. It was prepared for state officials by environmental scientists, who examined six economic sectors that included coastline construction, harvesting of offshore minerals, shipbuilding and repair, tourism, port activity, and other maritime transportation. A majority of new coastal jobs were low-wage positions in the tourism and recreation sector, typically paying $18,000 or less a year, said co-author Judith Kildow, a professor at California State University, Monterey Bay. Meanwhile, the level of business for commercial fishing and industrial business such as ship building fell between 1990 and 2000, the study found.