On November 4, 2009, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard held a hearing on an interim report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force appointed earlier this summer by President Obama. While welcoming increased attention to the health of Americas oceans, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich expressed concerns about whether limited federal resources currently used to manage fisheries and other economic activities from the nations oceans could be at risk from changing national priorities.

Begich placed skepticism towards the creation of a new ocean council led by the White House, citing NOAA's good record and stewardship. Begich expressed concern about a proposal for marine spatial planning, essentially zoning in the oceans. The senator said Alaskas marine resources already are generally well managed and imposing a one size fits all zoning scheme on current management efforts is unworkable. He called for an economic analysis of any spatial plan that is considered for the nations offshore areas.

Begich raised those concerns and others during a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard on an interim report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force appointed earlier this summer by President Obama. The task force held a hearing in Alaska this summer and issued a preliminary report about possible changes to federal management of the nations oceans.