In the Senate of the United States,
June 10, 1998.
Resolved, That the resolution from the House of Rep-
resentatives (H. Con. Res. 131) entitled ‘‘Concurrent resolu-
tion 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:
That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the ocean is of paramount importance to the
economic future, environmental quality, and national
security of the United States;
(2) the United States has a responsibility to ex-
ercise and promote comprehensive stewardship of the
ocean and the living marine resources it contains;
and
HCON 131 EAS
(3) Federal agencies are encouraged to take ad-
vantage of the International Year of the Ocean in
1998, to—
(A) review United States oceanography and
marine resource management policies and pro-
grams;
(B) identify opportunities to streamline,
better direct, and increase interagency coopera-
tion in oceanographic research and marine re-
source management policies and programs;
(C) identify opportunities to further co-
operation between the United States and other
nations to enhance oceanographic research and
exploration, and to strengthen international ma-
rine resource conservation policies and pro-
grams;
(D) in cooperation with academic institu-
tions, nongovernmental organizations, and in-
dustry, develop scientific, educational, and re-
source management programs which will ad-
vance the exploration of the ocean, the conserva-
tion of marine habitats and species, and the sus-
tainable use of ocean resources; and
(E) encourage participation in State, local,
and private initiatives and programs that use
HCON 131 EAS
education and the arts to increase public aware-
ness of the ocean and the many benefits that it
provides, and to foster understanding of the need
to conserve and sustainably manage ocean re-
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 na-
tions, and carries 95 percent of the United States for-
eign 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 ac-
tivities, 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 develop-
ment of new ocean technologies for stewardship of
ocean resources that will contribute to the economy
HCON 131 EAS
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 Ma-
rine Science, Engineering, and Resources (popularly
known as the Stratton Commission) met to examine
the state of United States ocean policy and issued rec-
ommendations 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 ob-
serve this occasion, the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric 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.