‘Community’s help is critical to conserving state of Laolao Bay’

Changes in patterns and behaviors of community members—particularly on littering—are needed to protect and conserve the rich biodiversity of Laolao Bay, which has reached a “critical” stage.

“We have this window of opportunity to be able to change the way we treat our environment, specifically the behaviors that we have. If we change littering as a behavior, it would undoubtedly affect the health of Laolao Bay both on land and in the water,” said Eloise Lee, program associate for the non-profit organization SeaWeb.

Lee, guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting yesterday, said the current health condition of coral reefs at Laolao Bay is “definitely far different” from what it was due to various environmental threats, making it a focus of conservation efforts in the CNMI.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which funds many undertakings promoting marine conservation and protection on the islands, selected SeaWeb to come up with a social marketing campaign to save Laolao Bay.

According to its website, SeaWeb is the only international non-profit organization dedicated to using the science of communications to fundamentally shift the way people interact with the ocean, transforming knowledge into workable, science-based solutions to the most serious threats facing the ocean.

Lee revealed that results of a market research they conducted a year ago showed that while sedimentation proves to be the “primary threat” to Laolao Bay, they started off their strategic messaging campaign with littering, an issue that resonated within communities on island.

The process of creating an effective and “true-to-the-voices-of-the-public crusade has given rise to the Our Laolao Litter-Free on Land and Sea Campaign, a collaborative anti-littering campaign among groups and agencies that include SeaWeb, NOAA, the Division of Environmental Quality, Coastal Resources Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the non-profit group Mariana Islands Nature Alliance.

The Our Laolao Campaign seeks to highlight the need to preserve a place that is integral to the islands’ ecosystem, bringing in traditional and Western and scientific practices together in the community’s conservation efforts.

At the heart of the Our Laolao Campaign, Lee said, are the numerous stories of campaign champions or the actual users of Laolao Bay, from fishermen and hikers to historians and regular picnickers—all of whom consider the area “a special and sacred place.”

Among them are Fr. Jesse Reyes, who recalls fond memories of a swimming hole in Laolao Bay that he calls a “local-style jacuzzi”; Dave Benavente, a marine technician at CRM, who was inspired to pursue a career in marine science as he grew up in a fishing family; and Lewie Tenorio, a triathlete whose runs down the trails of Laolao Bay are highlighted by “seeing the black birds kiss the water as they swoop down and fly back up toward the sky.”

“There are these stories, these really lovely, wonderful, and poignant stories that really speak to why Laolao Bay is such a special place,” said Lee.

The campaign also includes a pledge that people can sign to protect and preserve Laolao Bay.

“We’re here to facilitate and strategize but really, the real soul of the campaign is the community members and organizations that have been a part of this process since the beginning,” added Lee.

The campaign will be launched to the community on March 22 at 10:30am at the Laolao Bay MINA Hut next to the new parking lot.

Thursday’s program will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the campaign champions themselves and a community tour that will include fishing, diving, science, and cultural stations, among others. Refreshments will also be served.

Lee said that during the program, MINA’s Tasi Watch, a program focusing on community members as “stewards of the ocean” or “eyes of the sea” will also be launched to further the protection and preservation of Laolao Bay for future generations.

Lee hopes that the campaign is a step closer to Saipan’s “community-own conservation” or conservation led “by people who know these places far better than anyone else,” allowing them to discuss further other issues that impact their marine ecosystem such as sedimentation.