John Kerry: “since the day I arrived in the Senate nearly twelve years ago, I have worked hard to address the many challenges…”

“since the day I arrived in the Senate nearly twelve years ago, I have worked hard to address the many challenges confronting our ocean and coastal resources. After all, few states draw as much of their national and regional identity from their coastal areas and contiguous oceans as does Massachusetts. Often with my distinguished colleagues, the Senator from South Carolina, Senator Hollings, and the Senator from Alaska, Senator Stevens, I have worked to improve national marine resource management. My efforts have come through my membership on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and particularly as ranking member on the Oceans and Fisheries Subcommittee and as co-chair of the subcommittee's predecessor, the former National Ocean Policy Study (NOPS). Over the past 25 years, Congress has worked to develop innovative policy solutions to enable the long-term protection, conservation, utilization and management of our vulnerable marine resources. We have acted to ensure strong coastal economies in Massachusetts and a clean, healthy coastal environment from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulfs of Mexico and Alaska. One of these innovative programs is the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, which in 1976 introduced the new concept of domestic fishery management councils to guide the development of commercial fishery management plans.”