DLNR to Navy: Don’t limit fishing to 10 miles around FDM

The Department of Lands and Natural Resources has asked the U.S. Navy not to increase the restricted area from 3 to 10 nautical miles around the Farallon de Mendinilla because it will drastically limit fishing activities in the area known for its abundance of fish.

FDM is the only U.S.-controlled live air-to-ground range in the Western Pacific.

DLNR secretary Ignacio Dela Cruz is among only a few who submitted comments to the U.S. Navy’s over 1,400-page study on the potential environmental impact of increased military activities in training areas known as the Mariana Islands Range Complex or MIRC.

The U.S. Navy extended the comment period until March 31, from the original deadline of March 16.

MIRC is the training and testing range complex that includes land, air and sea areas on and around Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan and FDM.

Fish and Wildlife director Sylvan Igisomar, in a separate comment on the draft study, raised one of their major concerns which is the military’s potential usage of leaseback/leased lands on Tinian for a temporary or permanent training installment and the possible increase in brown tree snakes, among other invasive species.

“The movement of vessels (aircraft and marine) and associated cargo from the island of Guam to Tinian would increase the risk of invasive species introductions, namely the brown tree snake, to Tinian if appropriate measures are not considered,” Igisomar said.

He said the Division of Fish and Wildlife looks forward to reviewing the U.S. Department of Defense’s brown tree snake interdiction plan, which is currently being developed.

Igisomar also assured Defense of DFW’s willingness to work cooperatively in addressing needs and issues pertaining to the preservation and maintenance of natural resources.

Danger zone or fishing zone?

Dela Cruz said DLNR is very concerned about the proposed danger zone as provided in executive summaries 11 and 12.

He said within the proposed 10-nautical mile danger zone is the best fishing grounds, and restricting activities in this area will negatively impact the livelihood of 65 to 75 fishermen, Dela Cruz said.

“We are opposed to that restriction because it’s the best fishing ground in the CNMI and the one closest to Saipan and Tinian. With fuel prices so high, fisherman cannot afford to buy more fuel to go out farther to fish. It’s going to place a burden on our fishermen,” Dela Cruz told Saipan Tribune.

In a recent public hearing on Saipan, only a few individuals showed up to learn more or voice out their concerns about the draft MIRC environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement.

MIRC is used to support tactical training by the U.S. military services, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army Reserves, and National Guard, in the Western Pacific Theater.

The draft MIRC EIS/OES states that “no significant impacts are identified for any resource area in any geographic location within the MIRC study area that cannot be mitigated, with the exception of exposure of marine mammals to underwater sound.”

Under the draft report, the following three alternatives are refined and analyzed:

* The No Action Alternative is comprised of baseline operations and support of existing range capabilities.

* Alternative 1 is comprised of the No Action Alternative plus additional operations on upgraded/modernized existing ranges.

* Alternative 2 is comprised of Alternative 1 plus new ranges, new dedicated capabilities, additional increased tempo (beyond Alternative 1) to optimize training in support of future contingencies.

A copy of the draft study can be accessed online at http://www.marianasrangecomplexeis.com/otherresources.aspx.

Comments on the draft MIRC EIS/OES should be sent to:

This document is different from the Guam and CNMI Marine Relocation EIS/OEIS for the relocation of Marine forces from Okinawa to Guam, which has been estimated to cost as much as $15 billion. The relocation EIS/OEIS is still being worked on.

However, there will be overlap between the two EIS/OEIS in the area of increased use of existing military ranges as a result of the pending relocation.