[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 81 (Friday, June 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1275-E1276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 2939, THE OCEANS CONSERVATION, 
       EDUCATION, AND NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

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                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 17, 2005

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, yesterday represented a giant step forward 
towards the protection and sustainable management of this nation's 
largest public trust: our oceans. I introduced OCEANS 21, a 
comprehensive oceans policy bill that answers the calls of the Pew 
Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, along with 
other bi-partisan co-chairs of the House Oceans Caucus, Curt Weldon of 
Pennsylvania, Tom Allen of Maine, and Jim Saxton of New Jersey.
  Our bill offers a comprehensive legislative solution to crises 
documented in both of the Oceans Commissions reports by establishing a 
strong National Oceans Policy that protects, maintains, and restores 
the health of marine ecosystems. This National Oceans Policy will 
secure, for present and future generations, the full range of benefits 
of healthy marine ecosystems--a responsibility that I take quite 
seriously in my job of representing California's central coast, home to 
the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
  The importance of this policy cannot be overstated, as we all depend 
on our oceans and coasts, from the person who lives off the water to 
the person who visits the ocean once in a lifetime. The oceans provide 
food, jobs, vacation spots, as well as opportunities for scientific 
inquiry, including medical discovery, and personal reflection. Despite 
our inability to measure the many non-market values associated with our 
oceans and coasts, we are able to quantify some of the benefits they 
provide. For example, the ocean economy--the portion of the economy 
that relies directly on ocean attributes--contributes well over $100 
billion to American prosperity. About one tenth of the nation's annual 
gross domestic product (GDP) is generated in nearshore areas, the 
relatively narrow strip of land immediately adjacent to the coast. If 
that area is expanded to include coastal watershed counties, 
representing about one quarter of the nation's land area, the 
contribution increases to about half of the nation's GDP. This is a 
huge economic contribution to our gross domestic product; a 
contribution that must be protected so the returns keep coming.
  Oceans-2l was introduced in the 108th Congress to begin a national 
dialogue on our coasts and oceans. Since that time, the co-chairs of 
the House Oceans Caucus have revised the bill based on input from the 
oceans and fishing communities. This effort reflects continued forward 
momentum toward the goal of healthy marine ecosystems for present and 
future generations of Americans. The most substantive changes to the 
bill from the 108th Congress are to the regional governance and trust 
fund provisions. The bill would establish Regional Ocean Partnerships 
that facilitate communication among federal, state, and local 
management entities. The Oceans and Great Lakes Conservation Trust Fund 
no longer relies on monies from outer continental shelf activities and 
instead draws from general revenues.

  One of the most common concerns about the 108th Congress bill was 
that the structure of Regional Governance added an ineffective layer of 
bureaucracy without helping ecosystem-based management efforts. The 
integration of ecosystem-based management into current ocean and 
coastal management regimes must occur incrementally. Regional Ocean 
Partnerships are a first step toward deliberate and strategic planning 
for the long term health of our marine ecosystems. The revised language 
removes regulatory mandates from the Partnership's purview and 
concentrates instead on planning, removing the extra layer of 
bureaucracy. Currently, there is no organized forum for communication 
between federal and state entities responsible for management of 
coastal and ocean resources.

[[Page E1276]]

The successful co-management of the oceans relies on frequent and 
effective communication.
  Fisheries are not only affected by the number of fish we take out of 
the sea but are also affected by pollution, invasive species, 
degradation of nursery areas, and other ocean uses. Fishermen have not 
been able to adequately address or voice their concerns about non-
fishing issues that affect their resource. Oceans 21 will give fishing 
a loud voice by including the executive director of each Regional 
Fishery Management Council on the corresponding Regional Ocean 
Partnership. Fishermen need the ability to be effective ocean stewards.
  I urge all of my colleagues to dedicate themselves to shaping a 
better future for our oceans by supporting the House Oceans Caucus 
Founder's ocean policy bill. Our bill will not only bring U.S. ocean 
policy into the 21st century, it will set the tone for a future in 
which our oceans remain vital components of our economy, our 
communities, and our lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to close with a quote from the U.S. 
Commission Report that encapsulates my thoughts on the urgency of 
considering OCEANS 21 this session: ``The responsibility of our 
generation is to reclaim and renew the oceans for ourselves, for our 
children, and--if we do the job right--for those whose footprints will 
mark the sands of beaches from Maine to Hawaii long after ours have 
washed away.''

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