Decision sparks dismay, fear

Some marine sports operators on Saipan said the decision to close the Outer Cove Marina on Sept. 30, 2019, may force them to shut down operations, since they are just starting to recover from Super Typhoon Yutu’s impact on the tourism industry.

As this developed, marine sports operators are planning to hold a meeting today, Monday, to discuss the closure order. They will also tackle the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s emergency regulation that will assess a $3 departing fee per passenger, plus a monthly fee per commercial vessel, for those that will use the Smiling Cove Marina.

DFW has also notified all commercial boats and boat users using the Smiling Cove Marina that there will be another meeting this Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6pm at the American Memorial Park’s amphitheater. The meeting will only discuss the emergency regulation and the fee schedule.

With the impending closure of the Outer Cove Marina, which the Department of Lands and Natural Resources described as “in deteriorating condition” in its public notice last Friday, some marine sports operators have expressed a willingness to shoulder the expenses of repairing it and want to talk with DLNR and the administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres about it.

Saipan Tribune learned that two of three bridges to the dock at the Outer Cove Marina had collapsed—one happened last year and the other early this year. The remaining bridge appears to be also deteriorating.

Marine Sports Association president Adonis Santos said in an interview over the weekend that closing Outer Cove Marina will force them to pick up and unload boat passengers at the Smiling Cove Marina, which he said is too congested.

He said DLNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will also start to collect $3 per boat passenger at the Smiling Cove Marina, on top of monthly fees per vessel based on its length, that will be assessed on boat operators.

The Outer Cove Marina will be closed effective Sept. 30, 2019. In reaching that decision, DLNR Secretary Anthony T. Benavente cited in a notice issued Friday the deteriorating condition of the place.

Santos said there is no need to close the entire Outer Cove Marina. What needs to be done, he said, is fix the collapsed bridges and a half portion of the dock, while operators can continue to operate on the other half, then later repair the remaining half.

“We are willing to pay for the repair costs, in exchange for allowing us continue doing business,” Santos said.

He hopes the government will understand their situation, as marine sports operators are still just recovering since tourists are slowly coming back.

He said they suffered due to the lack of customers after Super Typhoon Yutu’s devastation in October 2018 that crippled the CNMI’s tourism industry for several months.

Santos has 31 employees and 23 of them are local residents or U.S. citizens.

For a couple of years now, DLNR allows marine sports operators to continue to operate at Outer Cove Marina by just requiring them to sign a waiver of liability.

Santos said marine sports companies are helping the tourism industry by paying taxes, but DLNR only seem to be helping only the fishermen.

“There’s no effort to provide us, the commercial boaters, with a nice facility,” Santos said.

Another marine sports operator who asked not be identified agrees.

“We want to help the government. But it seems they don’t care, they just want to collect fees. We are providing good services to tourists. There’s no plan for us. We are paying thousands of dollars in taxes,” the operator said.

He said the Outer Cove Marina has been neglected for so many years. “When Tony Pellegrino was alive and maintaining the Outer Cove Marine, we did not encounter any problems,” the operator said.

He said he can’t imagine the traffic of boats and tourists at Smiling Cove Marina after the Outer Cove is closed.

Saipan Tribune learned that some operators and their employees are considering holding a protest rally.