[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 140 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10778-S10779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 186, House 
Concurrent Resolution 8.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 8) recognizing the 
     significance of maintaining the health and stability of coral 
     reef ecosystems.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the concurrent resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources with an amendment.
  (The parts of the concurrent resolution intended to be stricken are 
shown in boldface brackets and the parts of the concurrent resolution 
intended to be inserted are shown in italic.)

                             H. Con. Res. 8

       [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, 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 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]
       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,

[[Page S10779]]

     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 
     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
         Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),
       [That the Congress recognizes the significance of 
     maintaining the health and stability of coral reef 
     ecosystems, by--
       [(1) promoting comprehensive stewardship for coral reef 
     ecosystems;
       [(2) encouraging research, monitoring, and assessment of 
     and education on coral reef ecosystems; and
       [(3) improving the coordination of coral reef efforts and 
     activities of Federal agencies, academic institutions, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and industry.]
     That the Congress recognizes the significance of maintaining 
     the health and stability of coral reef ecosystems, by--
       (1) promoting comprehensive stewardship for coral reef 
     ecosystems;
       (2) discouraging unsustainable fisheries or other practices 
     that are harmful to coral reefs and human health;
       (3) encouraging research, monitoring, and assessment of and 
     education on coral reef ecosystems;
       (4) improving the coordination of coral reef efforts and 
     activities of Federal agencies, academic institutions, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and industry; and
       (5) promoting preservation and sustainable use of coral 
     reef resources worldwide.

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today in support of 
House Concurrent Resolution 8. The United States is beginning to take 
steps to maintain and protect our coral reef ecosystems. This 
resolution encourages us to continue to improve our stewardship of 
these treasures in the sea. Coral reefs are among the most biologically 
diverse and productive marine habitats. They occur throughout the 
world's tropical and subtropical regions and in the waters of two U.S. 
states, including my home state of Hawaii.
  Mr. President, coral reefs are vital to coastal economies, serving as 
the basis for coastal and marine tourism in several U.S. states and 
territories. Reefs also make substantial economic contributions by 
supporting subsistence and commercial reef fisheries. Coral reefs and 
the ecosystems they support are under increasing pressure, primarily 
from human activity. Of approximately 600,000 square kilometers of 
coral reefs worldwide, estimates are that 10 percent have been degraded 
beyond recovery and an additional 30 percent are likely to decline 
significantly within the next 20 years.
  We must strengthen our commitment to be stewards of coral reefs, to 
discourage harmful fisheries and other practices, to monitor and assess 
the health of these unique systems; and improve research of and 
education about coral reef ecosystems. Further, we must ensure that we 
balance preservation with sustainable use of our coral reef resources. 
We must identify factors contributing to the global decline of coral 
reef ecosystems and discourage overfishing and other practices that are 
harmful to coral reefs and human health.
  It is significant that this resolution is passed during the 
International Year of the Reef to focus attention on research and 
public awareness of coral reef issues. The resolution is an important 
step to promote preservation and sustainable use of coral reef 
resources worldwide. I appreciate the help of other Senators who have 
worked to see that our coral reefs are provided the attention that they 
deserve.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee amendment to the concurrent resolution be agreed to; that the 
concurrent resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the amendment to 
the preamble be agreed to; and that the preamble, as amended, be agreed 
to. I further ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution 
appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 8), as amended, was agreed 
to.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

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