Joint Initiative Statement on Death of Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings
10 April 2019We write in sadness at the loss of a beloved ocean champion and U.S. statesman. In his 55-year career in public service, Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings of South Carolina, who passed away on April 6 at the age of 97, generated lasting impacts on our oceans and coasts. We will forever be indebted to Senator Hollings for leading the effort to pass the Oceans Act of 2000, the legislation which created JOCI’s predecessor the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP). The Oceans Act charged the USCOP with undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s ocean and coastal policies and offering recommendations for how to improve and update those policies. Its recommendations have guided JOCI’s work for the past fifteen years and catalyzed the development of comprehensive ocean policies, including the National Ocean Policy.
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