Calendar No. 186

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 8

[Report No. 105–94]

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the significance of maintaining the

health and stability of coral reef ecosystems.

SEPTEMBER 30, 1997

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the

preamble
III

Calendar No. 186

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 8

[Report No. 105–94]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 24, 1997

Received

MAY 13, 1997

Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

SEPTEMBER 30, 1997

Reported by Mr. MCCAIN, with an amendment and an amendment to the

preamble

[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Recognizing the significance of maintaining the health and

stability of coral reef ecosystems.

Whereas coral reefs are among the world’s most biologically

diverse and productive marine habitats, and are often described as the tropical rain forests of the oceans;

Whereas healthy coral reefs provide the basis for subsistence,

commercial fisheries, and coastal and marine tourism and

are of vital economic importance to coastal States and

territories of the United States including Florida, Ha-
2

•HCON 8 RS

waii, Georgia, Texas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,

Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands;

Whereas healthy coral reefs function as natural, regenerating

coastal barriers, protecting shorelines and coastal areas

from high waves, storm surges, and accompanying losses

of human life and property;

Whereas the scientific community has long established that

coral reefs are subject to a wide range of natural and anthropogenic threats;

Whereas the United States has taken measures to protect national coral reef resources through the designation and

management of several marine protected areas, containing reefs of the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of

Mexico, the Florida Keys in south Florida, and offshore

Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American

Samoa;

Whereas the United States, acting through its agencies, has

established itself as a global leader in coral reef stewardship by launching the International Coral Reef Initiative

and by maintaining professional networks for the purposes of sharing knowledge and information on coral

reefs, furnishing near real-time data collected at coral

reef sites, providing a repository for historical data relating to coral reefs, and making substantial contributions

to the general fund of coral reef knowledge; and

Whereas 1997 has been declared the ‘‘International Year of

the Reef’’ by the coral reef research community and over

40 national and international scientific, conservation, and

academic organizations: Now, therefore, be it
3

•HCON 8 RS

Whereas coral reefs are among the world’s most biologically diverse and productive marine habitats, and

are often described as the tropical rain forest of the

oceans;

Whereas healthy coral reefs provide the basis for subsistence, commercial fisheries, and coastal and marine

tourism and are of vital economic importance to coastal States and territories of the United States including

Florida, Hawaii, Georgia, Texas, Puerto Rico, the

Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

Whereas healthy coral reefs function as natural, regenerating coastal barriers, protecting shorelines and coastal

areas from high waves, storm surges, and accompanying losses of human life and property;

Whereas the scientific community has long established that

coral reefs are subject to a wide range of natural and

anthropogenic threats;

Whereas a wide variety of destructive fishing practices, including the use of cyanide, other poisons, surfactants,

and explosives, are contributing to the global decline

of coral reef ecosystems;

Whereas the United States has taken measures to protect

national coral reef resources through the designation

and management of several marine protected areas,

containing reefs of the Flower Garden Banks in the

Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys in south Florida, and

offshore Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and

American Samoa;

Whereas the United States, acting through its agencies, has

established itself as a global leader in coral reef stew-
4

•HCON 8 RS

ardship by launching the International Coral Reef

Initiative and by maintaining professional networks

for the purposes of sharing knowledge and information

on coral reefs, furnishing near real-time data collected

at coral reef sites, providing a repository for historical

data relating to coral reefs, and making substantial

contributions to the general fund of coral reef knowledge; and

Whereas 1997 has been declared the ‘‘International Year of

the Reef’’ by the coral reef research community and

over 40 national and international scientific, conservation, and academic organizations: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring),

3 That the Congress recognizes the significance of

4 maintaining the health and stability of coral reef

5 ecosystems, by—

6 (1) promoting comprehensive stewardship for

7 coral reef ecosystems;

8 (2) encouraging research, monitoring, and as9 sessment of and education on coral reef ecosystems;

10 and

11 (3) improving the coordination of coral reef ef12 forts and activities of Federal agencies, academic in13 stitutions, nongovernmental organizations, and in14 dustry.
5

•HCON 8 RS

1 That the Congress recognizes the significance of maintain2 ing the health and stability of coral reef ecosystems, by—

3 (1) promoting comprehensive stewardship for

4 coral reef ecosystems;

5 (2) discouraging unsustainable fisheries or other

6 practices that are harmful to coral reefs and human

7 health;

8 (3) encouraging research, monitoring, and as9 sessment of and education on coral reef ecosystems;

10 (4) improving the coordination of coral reef ef11 forts and activities of Federal agencies, academic in12 stitutions, nongovernmental organizations, and indus13 try; and

14 (5) promoting preservation and sustainable use

15 of coral reef resources worldwide.