In the Senate of the United States,

June 10, 1998.

Resolved, That the resolution from the House of Representatives (H. Con. Res. 131) entitled ‘‘Concurrent resolution acknowledging 1998 as the International Year of the

Ocean and expressing the sense of the Congress regarding

the ocean.’’, do pass with the following

AMENDMENTS:

Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert:

1 That it is the sense of the Congress that—

2 (1) the ocean is of paramount importance to the

3 economic future, environmental quality, and national

4 security of the United States;

5 (2) the United States has a responsibility to ex6 ercise and promote comprehensive stewardship of the

7 ocean and the living marine resources it contains;

8 and
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HCON 131 EAS

1 (3) Federal agencies are encouraged to take ad2 vantage of the International Year of the Ocean in

3 1998, to—

4 (A) review United States oceanography and

5 marine resource management policies and pro6 grams;

7 (B) identify opportunities to streamline,

8 better direct, and increase interagency coopera9 tion in oceanographic research and marine re10 source management policies and programs;

11 (C) identify opportunities to further co12 operation between the United States and other

13 nations to enhance oceanographic research and

14 exploration, and to strengthen international ma15 rine resource conservation policies and pro16 grams;

17 (D) in cooperation with academic institu18 tions, nongovernmental organizations, and in19 dustry, develop scientific, educational, and re20 source management programs which will ad21 vance the exploration of the ocean, the conserva22 tion of marine habitats and species, and the sus23 tainable use of ocean resources; and

24 (E) encourage participation in State, local,

25 and private initiatives and programs that use
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HCON 131 EAS

1 education and the arts to increase public aware2 ness of the ocean and the many benefits that it

3 provides, and to foster understanding of the need

4 to conserve and sustainably manage ocean re5 sources.

Strike out the preamble and insert:

Whereas the ocean, which comprises nearly three quarters

of the Earth’s surface, sustains a large part of the

Earth’s biodiversity, provides an important source of

food, and interacts with and affects global weather and

climate;

Whereas the ocean is critical to national security, is the

common means of transportation among coastal nations, and carries 95 percent of the United States foreign trade;

Whereas the ocean and sea floor contain vast energy and

mineral resources that are critical to the economy of

the United States and the world;

Whereas ocean resources are limited and susceptible to

change as a direct and indirect result of human activities, and such changes can impact the ability of the

ocean to provide the benefits upon which the Nation

depends;

Whereas the vast majority of the deep ocean is unexplored

and unknown, and the ocean is truly the last frontier

on Earth for science and civilization;

Whereas there exists significant promise for the development of new ocean technologies for stewardship of

ocean resources that will contribute to the economy
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through business and manufacturing innovations and

the creation of new jobs;

Whereas any nation’s use or misuse of ocean resources has

effects far beyond that nation’s borders;

Whereas it has been 30 years since the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources (popularly

known as the Stratton Commission) met to examine

the state of United States ocean policy and issued recommendations that led to the present Federal structure

for oceanography and marine resources management;

Whereas recent public opinion polls indicate that a large

majority of Americans consider the condition of the

oceans to be important, and that a large majority rate

the overall health of the oceans negatively; and

Whereas the United Nations has declared 1998 to be the

International Year of the Ocean, and in order to observe this occasion, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other Federal agencies, in

cooperation with organizations concerned with ocean

science and marine resources, have resolved to promote

exploration, utilization, conservation, and public

awareness of the ocean: Now, therefore, be it

Attest:

Secretary.
105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 131

AMENDMENTS