CPA board urged to deny research vessels’ entry to NMI

A member of the Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors, Benigno Sablan, attempted yesterday to convince his colleagues to ban the entry of any and all research vessels to the Commonwealth to protect the islands’ resources from a potential takeover by the federal government.

Sablan, the board’s seaports facilities committee chairman, said that CPA has always allowed the entry of these research vessels but didn’t actually generate much revenue from these visiting groups.

This is on top of revelation that CPA is not even made aware of what the research is all about and any related updates when the research is completed.

“We are all affected by research. What scientists normally do, they go up north and do not even tell the mayor of the Northern Islands what they’re going to research and eventually they created the Marine National Monument in 2009,” Sablan said yesterday during the CPA board meeting, adding that the CNMI should learn from this experience.

This situation, according to Sablan, seems to indicate that the federal government is taking advantage of the CNMI’s “non-enthusiastic approach” to its resources.

“Just recently, President Obama came out saying that he’s going to increase this monument area further to 200 nautical miles. To prevent that from happening, we have the ability to deny entry of any and all research vessels,” said Sablan.

He said this can be done because all ports on three islands are the property of CPA, which has the power to deny the entry of any vessel.

Sablan said he had seen the sporadic entry of research vessels on the islands.

“To lessen the amount of submerged land water resources, I think it’s incumbent for CPA to deny any and all these research vessels,” said Sablan.

But Sablan’s recommendation, which he put in a motion for board decision, was immediately countered by board vice chair Thomas Kiyu Villagomez, who expressed strong opposition to the proposal.

“I am personally against this idea. Remember, we also have some Japanese ships that come out here. Are you saying that we will start denying them entry because they are part of the research group?” asked Villagomez.

Villagomez also cited his concern on the impact this may bring to the federal grants received by CPA and the CNMI as a whole for its various activities and programs.

“I don’t think it’s the right decision for the CPA board to take on that issue. If we’re going to do that, we will have some problems with our federal grants and I don’t think restricting vessels will help us anything,” said Villagomez.

At Sablan’s insistence, a roll call vote on his motion was made on the floor. It was defeated by 3-2 votes. Those who voted against the motion were board members Frances Mafnas, Villagomez, and Michael San Nicolas.

But because Mafnas was the one who seconded Sablan’s motion on the floor, the result was “questioned” during yesterday’s meeting.

According to Robert Rules of Order, a board member who seconded a motion must vote affirmatively on the motion, which Mafnas did not.

After the voting, Sablan warned his colleagues that he will continue to raise the same recommendation to the board until all members agree to adopt it.

“Rest assured I will continue to appeal the board’s decision and will raise it again in our next board meetings,” said Sablan.

The CPA board has two vacant slots at present.