U.S. Conference To Focus On Health Of World’s Oceans One Of Every Six U.S. Jobs Is Marine-Related; United Nations Also Emphasizing Oceans

The Clinton administration announced Wednesday it soon will sponsor a conference in Monterey, Calif., on the environmental crises facing the oceans.

The meeting was set at the request of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who joined with several colleagues last year to introduce legislation proposing a presidential commission on federal policy toward the oceans.

“California’s economic future is inexorably linked to the health of our oceans,” Boxer said in a statement. “Whether it is fishing, shipping, tourism or recreation, millions of Californians’ lives and livelihoods depend on our oceans.”

Ocean-dependent industries in the state contributed an estimated $17.3 billion to California’s economy in 1992 and employed more than 370,000 residents then, she said.

The conference, she added, could highlight the ways marine resources are utilized and prompt a discussion on methods of promoting a healthy, sustainable ocean environment.

Boxer also asked the administration to hold the meeting on June 8, which is World’s Ocean Day, as well as issue a ban on additional oil and gas drilling leases for federal lands off California’s coastline.

William Daley, secretary of commerce, said in a statement that health of the oceans is particularly vital given that one of every six U.S. jobs is marinerelated and one-third of the nation’s gross national product is produced in coastal areas through fishing, transportation and recreation.

Furthermore, D. James Baker, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said his agency will launch a public awareness campaign focusing on teaching adults and students the importance of oceans in their lives and seeking ways to protect the oceans.

In a bid to raise public awareness of the oceans’ role in the lives of land-dwellers, the United Nations has declared this year the International Year of the Ocean.

The presidential commission Boxer and others proposed last year would look at activities that harm oceans and coastal zones, assess federal programs and review conflicts among users of oceans. The panel would be appointed by the president and congressional leaders.

The bill is pending in Congress.

The 15-member panel would be patterned after the so-called Stratton Commission, which, in the mid-1960s, developed a number of proposals that became law - including creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.