Aloha kakou!

E komo mai! Welcome to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Mahalo nui loa, thank you very much, to Dr. Saxena and the Steering Committee of PACON 2000 for the opportunity to address you today. I wish the Senate schedule permitted me to be with you in Honolulu!

Just one look around will remind you that you are in the only state in the Union that is completely surrounded by ocean. Hawaii is unquestionably the most ocean-dependent state in the United States: our industrial goods arrive via the ocean and we are a military bulwark in the Pacific. In 1999, Hawaii generated $14 billion from travel and tourism because of the ocean, our coral reefs and beaches, and our renowned Aloha spirit. This figure is forecast to grow to $28.7 billion in just 10 years.

I welcome the strong representation at PACON from our neighbors around the Pacific, and applaud those nations who are coming forward with national plans, programs and initiatives for ocean exploration, development and management.

The United States is at a cross-roads: we need to re-assess our roles and reinvigorate our investment in the ocean of the future. It has been 31 years since the Stratton Commission, whose work led to the founding of NOAA, the enactment of the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the International Decade of Ocean Exploration. We have come a long way since then. Most coastal states have extended their jurisdictions to 200 miles offshore to manage resources better. We now know the intimate relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere. We acknowledge the importance of nearshore and coastal areas to the health of the oceans. And we have extended our abilities to monitor and explore nearshore and deepwater ocean environments with technologies that did not exist 20 years ago!

I see the ocean as the frontier for our next generation -- the inspiration for the exploration "inner space." Just as the American West inspired ambitious Americans for almost 200 years, just as we have committed to the exploration of "outer space," there are major challenges and opportunities in "inner space," through marine technology, biotechnology, ocean exploration and stewardship. This is the only frontier that we have not "tamed," like the West, and we will always be in awe of the forces of the sea.

I have sailed using celestial navigation on the Hoku'lea in the vast, open stretches between islands. Believe me, nothing instills an awe and respect of the ocean more than being on a small boat thousands of miles from land, with faith in the guidance of the stars. I have spent many happy days fishing for bottom fish - the sea has been a bountiful provider – and in order to insure these opportunities for future generations, we must practice malama kai, as Hawaiians say-- "care for the sea."

For all of these reasons, I am an advocate for the oceans. I am an original co-sponsor of the Oceans Act of 2000, introduced by Senator Fritz Hollings. The Oceans Act of 2000 has bipartisan support and calls for a new policy for the 21st Century to explore, conserve and use ocean and coastal resources. It establishes a Commission on Ocean Policy which will prepare a report and recommendations to Congress and the President. I have introduced coral reef legislation to make our coral reef conservation more robust. I am co-sponsor of the Conservation and Stewardship Act of 2000, S. 2181, which has a coastal stewardship centerpiece and includes my coral reef bill.

I support marine technology and exploration. My methane hydrates bill is now law, signed by President Clinton on May 5, 2000. It will energize the push to characterize and extract methane hydrates from deep seabed areas.

I have joined forces with my colleagues on a Natural Hazards Caucus. I continue to push for innovation and ingenuity in ocean technology and stewardship. As you know, the Magnuson Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act are all up for reauthorization, and I continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to bring these critical bills along in the legislative process.

I look forward to working with you all for the future of inner space. I wish all of you a most successful and productive conference.

A hui hou!