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MINA wants to promote conservation of Managaha
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Posted on Mar 14 2012
By Clarissa David
Reporter
Reporter
There have not been any community based efforts to promote the conservation of the Managaha area, according to Mariana Islands Nature Alliance’s Frank C. Villagomez.
In 2000, Managaha and its surrounding waters were declared a marine conservation area through Public Law 12-12 or the Managaha Marine Conservation Act.
“It is my hope that we educate the community about the Managaha Marine Conservation Act,” said Villagomez during his presentation at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan yesterday.
Villagomez said MINA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the diverse natural resources of the Northern Mariana Islands, will be spearheading a project aimed at educating the public about the Managaha marine conservation area which considers this small island as a marine-protected, no-take area.
He said the project aims to promote sustainable approaches and behavior within the Managaha marine conservation area and strengthen the function of the law protecting the said area.
Villagomez disclosed that last Saturday, he went to Managaha to educate the Saipan Seventh-Day Adventist School students who were not aware of the rules governing marine protected areas and where these areas are.
He said they plan to collect valuable information in the Managaha conservation area through beach profiling, fish surveys, coral bleaching, and water quality collection, among others, to help improve their coral reef management strategies.
Villagomez said that for this project, they plan to work with community members, including boaters, jet-skiers, windsurfers, fishermen, divers, and picnickers, as well as tour agencies and operators who can work on educating CNMI’s off-island visitors.
He encouraged the public to volunteer for the project to learn and understand the issue and “make positive changes” to their behavior to achieve the ultimate goal of protecting the Managaha and other marine conservation areas in the Commonwealth.
For more information, contact Villagomez at 233-REEF (7333) or email fcvillagomez@gmail.com.
