Narrator Speaking:




It is impossible to overstate the importance of the oceans to all life
on this planet...or to human beings who are rejuvenated and inspired by
their majesty and power...or to the economy of the United States.
Thirty five years ago, the last comprehensive review of U.S. ocean
policy was conducted. Since then the number of people living in
America's coastal areas and the economic significance of those areas,
and of oceans, in general, have dramatically increased.



So have the demands on them -- demands whose cost is measured in, among
other things, depleted resources, over exploitation of many fish
stocks, lost habitat, decreased resiliency of ocean and coastal
ecosystems, and pervasive water contamination problems.



When Congress passed the Oceans Act of 2000, it acknowledged both those
costs and the significance of the oceans to this country's well
being--economic and otherwise. Pursuant to that Act, the President
appointed the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy made up of 16 members
from diverse backgrounds.



Its Chairman is Retired Navy Admiral James D. Watkins -- former Chief
of Naval Operations, former Secretary of Energy, and the founder of the
Consortium of Oceanographic Research and Education.




Admiral James D. Watkins, Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Speaking:



"Our job was to establish findings and develop recommendations for a
new, comprehensive national ocean policy. And we did. They are laid out
.in this preliminary report -- a pre-cursor to our final report to be
released later this year.



An integral part of our job was receiving testimony -- oral and written
-- from hundreds of people across the country. Generally, they didn't
come to us, we went to them, to where they lived and worked, to where
they knew the situation. And wherever we went, we made site visits so
we could not only hear what they had to say, but see what they were
talking about.



Fundamentally, the message we heard boiled down to this: the oceans and
coasts are in trouble and we need to change the way we manage them.




Perhaps most important, people must grasp the vital role oceans play in
their lives and livelihoods and the profound impact they, themselves,
have on the oceans and coasts.



What's now obvious is that ocean resources are not limitless. Nor are
ocean waters capable of continual self-cleansing. The point is this:
it's up to us to find ways to use and enjoy the ocean in a sustainable
way. And that, at its core, is what the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy's report is all about.



Narrator Speaking:



Collecting information provided the raw material for the Commission's
work. Careful thought, deliberation, and the consideration of a wide
spectrum of potential solutions led to a vision for the future made up
of bold, far reaching recommendations for reform -- reform that must be
implemented now while it is still possible to reverse distressing
declines, seize exciting opportunities and sustain the oceans and their
assets for future generations.




It should be emphasized that the Commission, as mandated by the Oceans
Act, balanced environmental, technical, economic, and scientific
factors in making its recommendations.



The overarching theme of the Commission's recommendations is ecosystem
based management -- managing ocean and coastal resources to reflect the
relationships between all ecosystem components, including human and
non-human species, and the environments they inhabit.



This approach requires the federal government to align along ecosystem
boundaries to better support state, local, and regional ecosystem
efforts. These local and regional efforts such as the Chesapeake Bay
and Puget Sound require better support from the federal government.



A new national ocean policy framework must be established to improve
federal leadership and coordination to enable agencies to address the
ocean, land and air as one inter-connected system, and to enhance
opportunities for state, territorial, tribal, and local entities to
develop common regional goals and priorities, improve responses to
regional issues, and increase coordination.



Policies and decisions about ocean and coastal resources need to be
based on the most current, credible, unbiased scientific data. Getting
such information requires new investment in the infrastructure to
support data collection and research and the means to effectively
translate scientific findings into useful, timely information for
policy managers, educators and the public.




Education about the oceans is also imperative --for today's decision
makers to better understand them, for the general public to develop a
sense of stewardship for them, and to prepare a new generation of
leaders to confront issues dealing with them.



A strong, effective national ocean policy must be underpinned by high
quality education reaching every segment of the population.



With a foundation in place defined by improved governance, stronger
scientific information, and enhanced education, the Commission went
further, identifying many specific challenges and suggesting actions to
address them.



The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy considers the following actions absolutely critical:

• Establishment
  of a National Ocean Council chaired by an Assistant to the President
  with a Presidential Council of Advisors on Ocean Policy;
  
• Strengthening the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and improving the federal agency structure;
  
• Developing
  a flexible, voluntary process for creating regional ocean councils,
  facilitated and supported by the National Ocean Council;
  
• Doubling U.S. investment in ocean research;
  
• Implementing the national Integrated Ocean Observing System; and
  
  
• Increasing attention to ocean education through coordinated and effective formal and informal programs.
  

In
addition to these broad national goals, there are critical actions that
need to be taken with regard to specific ocean and coastal issues.



Economic growth, strong communities and healthy coasts and watersheds
must be maintained by strengthening coastal and watershed management
and creating more viable links between them.



Existing and emerging uses of federal waters should managed in an
integrated way. At the same time, conflicts between different
activities must be avoided and the impact of these activities on the
environment must be minimized by creating a coordinated offshore
management regime.




Water pollution--particularly from non-point sources--has to be
reduced. It can be--by establishing measurable water pollution
reduction goals, strengthening incentives and technical assistance, and
improving coordination between overlapping agencies.



Three decades of over fishing, excessive bycatch, and habitat
degradation can be ended by refining the existing fishery management
system through greater reliance on science, a more ecosystem-based
approach, fine tuning Regional Councils, and exploring the use of
dedicated access privileges.



American participation in the international community should be
strengthened by acceding to the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea--the primary legal framework for addressing global ocean issues.



And, there must be a stable funding stream to support new federal and
state responsibilities for oceans and coasts. Such support can come
from establishing an Ocean Policy Trust Fund consisting of unallocated
outer Continental Shelf oil and gas bonuses and royalties plus revenues
from new uses of offshore waters.



Admiral James D. Watkins, Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Speaking:




Implementing these recommendations--and others--will contribute
significantly to a future in which the promise of America's oceans and
coasts is realized. This is a crossroads moment, a moment of historic
opportunity to make positive and lasting changes in how we, as a
nation, manage our ocean and coastal resources.



We can create an improved ocean policy that balances use with
sustainability, is based on sound science and educational excellence,
and moves toward an ecosystem-based management approach, with a
coordinated system of governance, and active regional, state, and local
participation. This will require political will, investment, and the
support of the public. But the benefits to this country -- and its
citizens -- will far exceed the cost and effort.



Closing visual is URL for Ocean Commission website and the phone number for the office:



For information www.oceancommision.gov (202) 418-3442.