[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 440 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 440

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 
 be established a National Ocean Day 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2000

   Mrs. Mink of Hawaii submitted the following resolution; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 
 be established a National Ocean Day 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.

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 micro-organism 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 is in fishing, shipping, or tourism;
Whereas oceanic research has contributed to an understanding of global warming 
        and the effects of the ocean on climate and weather, which inevitably 
        impacts on safety and quality of life;
Whereas the ocean is an endless universe of exploration and discovery and a key 
        source of life-saving medicines and treatments;
Whereas international trade will nearly triple over the next 2 decades and more 
        than 90 percent of this trade will be transported by ocean;
Whereas the ocean's resources are limited, and nations must work together to 
        preserve them;
Whereas poor stewardship of the oceans pollutes beaches, contaminates the food 
        supply, and robs people of a precious resource they depend on;
Whereas the oceans are the warmest they have been in 104 years, and the 5 
        hottest years since 1400 have all occurred in the 1990's;
Whereas 10 percent of the ocean's coral reefs, the ``rain forests of the sea'', 
        have been destroyed and another 30 percent will disappear within 20 
        years;
Whereas more than two-thirds of the world's fisheries are overexploited and more 
        than a third of the world's fisheries are in a state of decline;
Whereas the ocean's shores must be saved from off-shore oil drilling, which 
        spoils coasts, kills marine life, and destroys fragile ecosystems;
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, with many species of fish threatened with extinction;
Whereas the Clinton Administration has announced a new $4 million effort to 
        conduct a comprehensive exploration of the oceans surrounding the United 
        States, using the most advanced underwater technology to locate 
        historical artifacts such as sunken ships, to map the ocean floor, and 
        to discover new forms of marine life and promising sources of life-
        saving drugs and minerals;
Whereas the Clinton Administration has proposed a $224 million initiative to 
        enhance the health of the oceans;
Whereas by the year 2002, a new ocean monitoring system will be developed to 
        give us a better understanding of the critical relationship between 
        oceans and global warming;
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 in the 21st century, people will look increasingly to the oceans to meet 
        their everyday needs;
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 
        obligation to our children, grandchildren, and all of Earth's 
        inhabitants;
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.
                                 <all>