Agency commits funds for wildlife conservation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has assured the Northern Marianas of its commitment to provide some $900,000 funds annually for conservation work.

But the federal government wants to make sure that officials are spending the money well, said Bob Lange, chief of the Division of Federal Aid.

Since 1940, some $7 billion has been channeled to Pacific Islands and the States to do fish and wildlife conservation and develop boating access, he said.

During the previous administration, the federal government noted that the money was not properly spent since there was no permanent staff to carry out fish and wildlife research.

Under the administration of Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, a system has been installed to make sure that the funding is spent wisely, he said. The hiring of a fish and wildlife biologists as well as office management improvement have been suggested by his office to the Northern Marianas. Lange has commended current fish and wildlife director Richard B. Seman made improvements in the administrative system.

Funding for fish and wildlife conservation as well as boating access has been increasing at the rate of 15 to 16 percent every year.

One issue that has been the concern of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife is the decline of the Mariana fruit bat population over the years, especially in the southern islands.

The CNMI had proposed to reclassify the Mariana fruit bat from the endangered to threatened status on Gum and extend it throughout the Mariana Islands.

Records show that the fruit bats were earlier listed as endangered on Guam only in the belief that bats there formed a separate population segment from those in the CNMI.

However, recent studies have indicated that the bats move from one island to another, linking these colonies as a single populations.

In a related development, the Northern Marianas has pledged its commitment to work directly with other Pacific Island governments, the United States and foreign fishing nations through regional and international organizations to ensure conservation and optimum utilization of highly migratory species throughout the region.

In managing the island’s fisheries resources, Seman told delegates of the Pacific Islands Legislature the need to subscribe to strict conservation and preservation policies which include the use of safe methods of fishing.