119-hres482

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 482 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 482

 Recognizing World Oceans Day and the need to protect, conserve, 
 maintain, and rebuild the ocean and its resources.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 6, 2025

Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. Beyer) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
 on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, 
 Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
 within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing World Oceans Day and the need to protect, conserve, 
 maintain, and rebuild the ocean and its resources.

Whereas the ocean covers more than 70 percent of the planet's surface;
Whereas the ocean generates the oxygen we breathe, regulates the climate and 
 weather patterns, supplies food, is a source of cultural value, supports 
 tourism and trade, and is an untapped energy resource;
Whereas Indigenous people have stewarded the ocean and are deeply connected to 
 the ocean as a key component of culture, food security, and 
 spirituality;
Whereas scientists estimate more than 80 percent of the ocean remains 
 unexplored, and the United States has committed to advance a National 
 Strategy on Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization;
Whereas the health of the ocean is a reflection of the health of the planet;
Whereas the United States has joined the High Level Panel for a Sustainable 
 Ocean Economy and remains committed to advancing its national 
 sustainable economy plan released in 2024;
Whereas the White House Ocean Policy Committee has committed to advancing 
 coordinated Federal action on ocean and coastal management, science, and 
 technology, and advancing an ocean-climate action plan;
Whereas 2025 marks the fifth year of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science 
 for Sustainable Development (in this resolution referred to as ``the 
 Decade'');
Whereas the Decade will help accelerate research to address gaps in ocean 
 science, strengthen international cooperation, and improve ocean 
 management;
Whereas a scientific priority of the Decade is to create a comprehensive digital 
 atlas of the ocean and strengthen ocean observations;
Whereas changes in ocean chemistry, temperature, and biodiversity pose a very 
 real threat to marine resources, industries, and jobs;
Whereas approximately one-fourth of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 
 dissolves into the ocean, causing water chemistry to change and become 
 more acidic;
Whereas ocean acidification harms oysters, mussels, lobsters, clams, corals, and 
 other species that are building shells and skeletons and reproducing;
Whereas some finfish experience neurological changes in acidic waters, altering 
 their behaviors and actions;
Whereas 45 percent of all marine mammals on the International Union for 
 Conservation of Nature

    (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species have been 
 affected by lost and abandoned fishing gear;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
 Change, the ocean has taken up more than 90 percent of excess heat in 
 the climate system since 1970, and marine heat waves are very likely to 
 become longer lasting, more intense, and more extensive;
Whereas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 80 
 percent of pollution in the ocean comes from land;
Whereas increased temperatures and nutrient runoff can result in harmful algal 
 blooms that accumulate, die, decompose, and consume oxygen, leaving 
 waterways in a hypoxic or anoxic state that can result in massive fish 
 kills and the formation of ``dead zones'' where marine life cannot 
 survive;
Whereas the decrease in biodiversity, and decline and shifts in distribution of 
 fish, will affect the livelihoods and food security of coastal 
 communities;
Whereas Tribes have a right and a deep cultural and historical connection to the 
 fisheries threatened by changing ocean conditions;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, more than 11,000,000 tons of plastic 
 end up in the ocean each year from land-based sources alone;
Whereas recent studies suggest that lost, abandoned, or otherwise discarded 
 fishing gear could make up 46 to 70 percent of the floating macroplastic 
 in the ocean gyres by weight;
Whereas marine debris harms coastal economies, endangers marine life, destroys 
 important marine habitats, propagates invasive species, and creates 
 hazardous conditions for the maritime industry;
Whereas tiny pieces of plastics, fibers, fragments, and microbeads also make 
 their way into the marine food web, blocking digestive tracts, altering 
 growth, and in some cases killing animals and marine organisms;
Whereas marine debris is considered a growing global biodiversity, health, and 
 climate crisis that requires collaborative work with partners from 
 across the world;
Whereas the United Nations has recognized this growing crisis and passed a 
 resolution to draft a legally binding instrument to end plastic 
 pollution by 2040;
Whereas the United Nations has recognized that vulnerable communities 
 disproportionately suffer the consequences of environmental degradation 
 caused by plastic pollution and recognizes that environmental justice 
 should be a consideration in marine conservation;
Whereas people should improve their understanding of the implications of 
 environmental stressors, such as ocean acidification, harmful algal 
 blooms, hypoxia, marine debris, warming ocean temperatures, overfishing, 
 and rising sea levels;
Whereas many of these environmental stressors are indicators of a changing 
 climate and threaten the economy and livelihood of vulnerable coastal 
 communities;
Whereas 5 to 30 percent of global harvestable fish stocks are affected by ghost 
 gear every year, threatening global food security, coastal communities, 
 and fisher livelihoods;
Whereas, across the United States, coastal communities contribute about 
 $10,000,000,000,000 to the United States economy annually as well as 
 support about 54,600,000 jobs;
Whereas, in 2008, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 8 as 
 ``World Oceans Day''; and
Whereas World Oceans Day provides an opportunity to recommit to protect, 
 conserve, maintain, and rebuild the ocean and its resources: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) recognizes World Oceans Day and affirms the individual 
 and collective duty, both nationally and internationally, to 
 protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild the ocean and its 
 resources;

    (2) affirms the stewardship of ocean resources, cultures, 
 and communities that are vital to both present and future 
 generations; and

    (3) commits to increasing the investment of Federal funds 
 in scientific research and monitoring to better understand the 
 changing ocean and empower the Federal Government to address 
 and mitigate the effects of the changing climate, solve 
 management challenges, and accomplish the goals of the United 
 Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
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