To the Ocean Futures Community,

On July 18th, I presented the luncheon keynote address, Oceans for the New Millennium: Developing and Implementing Ocean Policy, before the U.S. House of Representatives Oceans Caucus during National Ocean Science Day. The event was sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in conjunction with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, Inc. It was held in the AAAS Auditorium in Washington D.C.

The purpose of the event was to compile and evaluate information necessary for the House of Representatives Oceans Caucus to develop legislation on three topics: Fisheries, Pollution & Health and Gas Hydrates -Implications for Energy, Climate, and Marine Ecosystems.

The House Oceans Caucus is currently evaluating issues related to the first two topics during the last quarter of the 106th Congress. The Caucus will consider the third topic early in the 107th Congress. Panels were composed of experts from the private sector, academia, non-governmental organizations and Federal Agencies, providing multiple perspectives on each topic. A facilitator prepared a summary of the findings from the Fisheries and the Pollution and Health presentations so that the Caucus could consider these perspectives in its deliberations during Ocean Policy Development Day on July 18th.

It was a great honor for me to present my position on ocean conservation to the House Oceans Caucus and I want to share my address with you now. It outlines current information directly related to Ocean Futures' five critical issues: clean water, protecting marine mammals, conserving coral reefs and coastal habitats, and developing and maintaining responsible fisheries and aquaculture.

Click here to read the address transcript.

Thank you for your interest and continued support of Ocean Futures Society!

Respectfully yours,
Jean-Michel Cousteau
President, Ocean Futures