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From the robust hurricane activity in the Atlantic,
to the last days of summer and seasonal tourism on
our beaches, there has been considerable attention
paid towards our oceans in the past weeks. With good
reason, Congress has also been focused on the
contributions of the ocean - an ecosystem of complex
fisheries, a vast transcontinental transportation
network sustained on the surface, and economic
wealth totaling several hundreds of billions of
dollars annually.
There is an interconnected nature of the oceans
that surround us and the local, state and national
economies that depend on the revenue provided from
the shipping and fishing industries, seasonal
tourism, and a myriad recreational activities.
Throughout my tenure as chair of the Senate Commerce
Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries and Coast Guard, I
have worked to raise awareness of the critical
importance of developing a comprehensive Ocean
Policy - one that will ensure the viability of this
vast natural resource as the vital engine fueling
the economies of countless communities.
Last week, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy
presented Congress with 212 recommendations in their
final report, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st
Century, that would, as the Executive Summary
stated, "rise to the challenge of sustaining our
seas and their many benefits to our entire world,"
if enacted. Mandated by the "Ocean’s Act of 2000",
the 16-member panel convened a series of 16 public
meetings, including nine regional meetings, and 18
additional site visits around the country to learn
firsthand about the most pressing issues facing the
nation regarding the use and stewardship of ocean
and coastal resources. This is the first
comprehensive report examining the current status of
the world’s oceans since the Stratton Commission
released its findings 35 years ago.
Their findings included 27 recommendations that
relate to U.S. fisheries management, which is
critical to the livelihoods of so many in Maine. The
release of this report is truly a watershed event.
It re-defines the current state of our marine policy
landscape, and it will direct the course of oceans
conservation and management for years to come. I
have long been concerned that mankind has extracted,
consumed, and degraded many of the vital coastal and
marine resources that have supported our growth and
prosperity.
The report rightly cites, as one of its top
priorities, the need for a federal framework to
better coordinate our nation's ocean-related
activities. I agree that the 14 disparate agencies
now currently handling ocean-related issues cannot
possibly manage our marine resources and commerce in
a sound and cohesive fashion. Simply, a formal
mechanism is critical for ensuring that basic
coordination occurs when we are not only protecting
the ocean resources, but promoting our future
economy.
More than 2 million jobs and $117 billion in
economic output depend directly on our oceans. The
nation’s commercial fishing industry - a vital
sector of Maine’s economy- constitutes more than $28
billion of this ocean revenue. Additionally, U.S.
ports handle more than $700 billion in goods, and
this is expected to double over the next two
decades. Bioprospecting, tourism, and alternative
energy development each generate additional
millions, if not billions, of dollars.
Unequivocally, our local, state and national
economies are deeply embedded in the natural
resources of the oceans - and require our joint
efforts to protect.
Last week during a Senate Commerce mark-up, I
cosponsored an amendment to the "National Ocean
Policy and Leadership Act" that would establish a
national ocean policy, set forth the missions of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
and ensure effective interagency coordination on
U.S. Oceans Policy. I was pleased that my colleagues
on the Committee overwhelmingly agreed, voting in
favor of my amendment - which was also a key
recommendation of the Oceans Commission.
Coupled with last year’s passage of the "Ocean
and Coastal Observation Systems Act"- legislation I
authored and modeled on the successful Gulf of Maine
Ocean Observation System (GoMOOS), which authorized
a national Integrated Ocean Observation Network,
providing consistent and complete ocean data access
to real-time information - we have firmly embraced
an essential component of improving our ocean
stewardship. By expanding these systems and linking
them to global-level observations, we will reap
countless benefits such as improving our safety at
sea, better managing fish stocks, and even more
accurately predicting hurricanes.
Improving coordination of ocean governance is one
of many basic principles that we should promote in a
new national ocean policy. Considering the
fragmented and diverse ways we use, govern, and rely
upon the seas, we need a unifying vision to provide
strong guidance for sustaining the oceans and their
resources, long into the future.
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