Below is a brief meeting summary of the Commission's second meeting. A more detailed post-meeting press release, the meeting agenda (including links to speakers' written statements and follow-up questions, where available) and meeting minutes have also been posted.

Summary
Post-meeting Press Release
Agenda (including links to speakers' written statements and follow-up questions)
Minutes and Appendixes (pdf, 392 kb)

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy started building the foundation for its recommendations on a coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy as it met with Members of Congress, national organizations and federal agencies November 13 and 14, 2001 in Washington, D.C. This meeting, the second for the Commission, represented the initial step in a series of dialogues with the public on such wide-ranging issues as management of living and nonliving marine resources, ocean science and technology, and marine law and governance.

The Commission heard from U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC), a long-time proponent of ocean issues and leader in the passage of numerous ocean-related laws, and U.S. Representatives Curt Weldon (R-PA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), and Robert Underwood (D-Guam), all heavily involved with ocean issues. Representatives from federal agencies, trade associations, conservation organizations, the scientific community and coastal states also testified before the Commission.

The Commission did decide to take immediate action on one specific topic: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Commission unanimously agreed to a resolution urging the U.S. to promptly and expeditiously move forward with ratification of the treaty.

The Commission will continue to gather information on ocean issues from a local/regional perspective through a series of nine regional meetings.

(top)