[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 415 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                         July 11, 2000.
Whereas the oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and are key to the 
        life support systems for all creatures on this planet;
Whereas the oceans contain a wondrous abundance and diversity of life, from the 
        smallest microorganism to the mammoth blue whale;
Whereas two-thirds of the world's people live within 50 miles of a coast and one 
        out of six American jobs are in fishing, shipping, or tourism;
Whereas the oceans provide almost limitless opportunities for exploration and 
        discovery, and could supply a key source of life-saving medicines and 
        treatments;
Whereas oceanography has contributed to an understanding of global climate 
        change and the effects of the ocean on climate and weather, which 
        inevitably has an impact on safety and quality of life;
Whereas efforts are underway to develop a new ocean monitoring system that will 
        give us a better understanding of the critical relationship between 
        oceans and global climate change;
Whereas a deepened understanding of the seas will enable us to track marine 
        mammals, predict deadly storms such as those associated with El Nino, 
        detect illegal fishing, and gain new insights into the complexities of 
        climate change;
Whereas the oceans and coastal areas supply vital sources of food upon which 
        people depend and that could be deteriorated by poor stewardship;
Whereas decades of pollution from industrial waste, sewage, and toxic runoff 
        have taken their toll on the health of the oceans and on the marine life 
        in them;
Whereas recent studies suggest that nearly 60 percent of the world's coral 
        reefs, the ``rainforests of the sea'', are being degraded or destroyed 
        by human activities and 10 percent of the reefs may already be degraded 
        beyond recovery;
Whereas fisheries and the food and products they produce are essential to the 
        world's economy and steps should be taken to ensure that they do not 
        become overexploited;
Whereas in the 21st century, people will look increasingly to the oceans to meet 
        their everyday needs;
Whereas the oceans' resources are limited, and nations must work together to 
        conserve them;
Whereas the oceans are the core of our own humanity, a treasure shared by all 
        nations of the world, and our stewardship of this resource is our 
        responsibility to our children, grandchildren, and all of Earth's 
        inhabitants;
Whereas June 8th was declared Oceans Day at the Earth Summit Conference in Rio 
        de Janeiro in 1992 and similar declarations have been made by individual 
        nations;
Whereas the State of Hawaii has designated the first Wednesday of June as Ocean 
        Day, in recognition of the very significant role the ocean plays in the 
        lives of Hawaii's people, as well as Hawaii's culture, history, and 
        traditions; and
Whereas the establishment of a National Ocean Day will raise awareness of the 
        vital role oceans play in human life and that human beings must play in 
        the life of the ocean: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that a 
National Ocean Day should be established to recognize the significant role the 
ocean plays in the lives of the Nation's people, and the important role the 
Nation's people must play in the continued life of the ocean.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.