New National Polling Shows Latinos Motivated to Elect Pro-Ocean Conservation Candidates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: July 10, 2024
CONTACT: media@azul.org
New National Polling Shows Latinos Motivated to Elect Pro-Ocean Conservation Candidates
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Click here to download the factsheet and presentation on the findings.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Azul, the leading non-profit working with Latinos to protect the ocean, announced findings from a nationwide poll on Latino viewpoints on ocean protection, policies and recreation. The poll found overwhelming support for pro-conservation policies and candidates from Latinos across the U.S., including a willingness to pay more in energy and food costs in order to advance ocean justice priorities.
“Azul seeks to put justice at the heart of ocean policy and mobilize Latino leadership toward ambitious science-based conservation goals, and the findings from our survey are clear: U.S. Latinos have a strong desire to vote for pro-ocean candidates and policies,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Azul’s Founder and Executive Director. “Our polling indicates that Latino voters overwhelmingly support efforts to combat illegal fishing, end plastic pollution, and ban offshore drilling. At a time when the need to act couldn’t be more urgent, we’re encouraged by the poll’s findings and the potential for Latino communities to play an essential role in protecting our ocean and environment for generations to come.”
“This new national poll reaffirms how highly Latino voters value a healthy ocean, for their families and for the future,” said Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “It’s a clear reminder for elected officials everywhere to listen to their voices when making decisions about the issues impacting our ocean and coast. Azul continues to bring the Latino perspective front and center so that all of us can hear it.”
“I am filled with hope reading the results of Azul’s national poll of Latino voters in the U.S., demonstrating a strong interest from Latinos in increasing ambition in protecting and caring for the ocean,” said Maximiliano Bello, Director of Global Ocean Policy at Mission Blue. “The results are key and show us that an important and growing part of the U.S. population is interested in relevant and well-defined public policy regarding ocean protections – including proposals put forward by candidates in the U.S.”
“I am proud of Azul for taking the lead in dismantling the myth that people of color aren’t interested in the ocean with statistical data,” said Dr. Tiara Moore, Chief Executive Officer of Black In Marine Science (BIMS). “I’m excited to see the outcome of these results in terms of funding and continued engagement of our communities.”
“The 2024 National Azul Poll results should be no surprise. Yet, I can imagine why it might be for some people: Latinos have strong care, concern, and willingness to support policies for healthier public lands AND WATERS,” said José G. González, Founder of Latino Outdoors. “It is another clear indicator of how Latino communities, like so many communities of color, are not “single-issue communities” and should not reductively be treated so. We care about MAR Y TIERRA as part of our cultural heritage, and elected officials and policymakers must be attuned to that for any conservation success.”
“The urgent threats facing our ocean and coasts can be solved if the public mandate is strong enough,” said Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO, Surfrider Foundation. “Thanks to Azul’s 2024 Latinos & the Ocean poll we can see that Latinos across the US care deeply about our ocean, and also that our conservation success is dependent on including Latinos in our efforts.”
To read what leaders from across the country are saying, click here.
Some key findings from the 2024 National Azul Poll on Latinos and the ocean:
Regardless of region, Latinos support ocean justice policy goals, and are willing to support candidates who do as well:
• 80% would be more likely to vote for candidates that support stronger policies to protect the ocean
• 88% would support doing more to prevent plastic pollution
• 82% would support ending illegal fishing
• 72% would support actions to ban offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, and instead utilize renewable fuels like solar and wind
• 81% support conserving 30% of land and ocean waters in the U.S. by the year 2030
Large majorities of U.S. Latinos are concerned about pollution in the water, air and ocean.
• 87% agree that we cannot be healthy if the environment is not healthy
• 86% believe plastic pollution poses a health risk to their community
• 83% agree that climate change is a serious problem that will affect people’s lives
• 75% agree that mercury in seafood poses a serious health threat to them and their family
Latinos are willing to take action to protect the environment, even at a personal cost:
• 61% would support actions to ban offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, even if it means paying more per month for gasoline and household gas
• 75% would support greater efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities, even if it meant paying more for fish at the grocery store or restaurants
Azul also polled respondents to learn more about their personal identification with the ocean and coastlines:
Latino support for protecting the ocean remains strong, regardless of geographic region.
• 91% agree that clean beaches and oceans are essential to the economy and quality of life
• 77% surveyed agreed that the ocean is important to maintaining their family’s traditions and culture
Increasing access to the ocean is a priority for U.S. Latinos.
• 76% agree that all beaches should be open to the public
• 47% say going to the beach is too expensive for the average person to enjoy.
The poll, conducted by Barreto Segura Partners (BSP) Research for Azul, surveyed 2,500 registered Latino voters across the nation with 75% conducted online and 25% over telephone. Interviews were held in English or Spanish according to the individual’s preference. In addition to a national sample, respondents were oversampled in Boston and the Northeast (200), Chicago (200), Georgia (200), North Carolina and South Carolina (200), the Pacific Northwest (200), Texas (200), Florida (225), New Jersey and New York (225), and California (300). The survey ran from May 8 to 22, 2024, with an overall margin of error of +/- 2%.
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Azul is an ocean justice organization working with Latinos to protect the ocean and coasts. Founded in 2011 to increase Latino participation in ocean conservation, Azul has long advocated for ocean justice and equity at the international and national levels, as well as in the state of California, where the organization is based.