WASHINGTON, DC – In response to concerns raised in the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative’s report card released Friday regarding progress on ocean issues, U.S. Senators Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, commented on the Commission’s scrutiny and expressed their shared commitment to improve America’s ocean policies. 

• S. 362 Marine Debris – Passed Senate, Partial action by one House Committee
• S. 1390 Coral Reefs – Passed Senate, No Action in the House
• S. 39 Ocean Exploration – Passed Senate, No Action in the House
• S. 361 Ocean and Coastal Observations – Passed Senate, No Action in the House
• S. 50 Tsunami/Coastal Hazards Preparedness – Passed Senate, No Action in House
• S. 1280 Vessel/Oil Pollution provisions in Coast Guard bill passed and in conference
• S. 364 Coordinated Ocean Mapping – Committee Reported
• S. 360 CZMA – Committee Reported
• S. 363 Ballast Water – Committee Reported
• S. 2012 Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act – Committee approved
• S. 1215 Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act – Introduced, Committee hearing to be held 2/8/06
• S. 1195, Offshore Aquaculture – Introduced, hearing planned for March

• Re-instituted the National Ocean Policy Study
• Coast Guard and Fisheries Subcommittee
• Established a Disaster Prediction and Prevention Subcommittee
• Established Global Climate Change Subcommittee

• Senators Stevens and Inouye introduced the Administration’s Offshore Aquaculture bill (S. 1195); Hearing planned for March
• NOPS is planning hearing on offshore permitting/governance this year

• S. 2012, Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill, title IV, contains groundbreaking provisions to ensure international compliance to end Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing on the high seas, as well as to reduce bycatch of protected species in high seas fisheries.  Title V, VI contain implementing legislation for two treaties recently ratified by the Foreign Relations Committee (Western Pacific Tuna and Whiting)
• Senator Stevens, Inouye, and Lugar wrote multiple letters encouraging ratification of the U.N. Law of the Sea treaty. 
• Senator Stevens testified before the Foreign Relations and EPW Committees in favor of the ratification of the U.N. Law of the Sea treaty. 

• The Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act (S. 2012) addresses virtually all the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy

• The Magnuson bill contains a new Fisheries Conservation and Management Fund
• Portions of the Senate Budget bill contained $50 million for Tsunami programs – the Tsunami bill provides the appropriate authorizations
• NOTE: The Administration “Ocean Action Plan” priorities are not funded by the Administration, including areas that the Commerce Committee has acted on, i.e., Oceans and Human Health, Marine Debris, Observing Systems, etc.