Torres against proposal to close off 57.5% of CNMI waters

Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres on Friday expressed strong opposition to the marine sanctuary plan of the Pew Charitable Trusts that proposes 57.5% of the CNMI’s exclusive economic zone be closed to free passage by Marianas residents for consensual mining activities and commercial fishing activities.

Speaking at a radio press briefing, Torres said the proposal means 57.5% of the CNMI waters will be closed to its own people—the indigenous people—to freely go up to the marine sanctuary.

“And if I’m not mistaken, that means our own people, our indigenous people have to get a…permit to go to our own waters,” he said.

Torres

Why would the CNMI want to allow an entity to interfere with the rights of the indigenous community/people, Torres asked. “Why would we even consider relinquishing our own waters to somebody else? And then ask for permission when to enter our own water?”

He said he will be sending a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asking for a 90-day extension to comment because this will have a significant impact on the CNMI’s culture and the lives of its people.

The governor said that when the Marine Monument was first brought up, there was so much promises, including establishing a visitors center, enforcement of vessels that would be homeported here in the CNMI, and increased enforcement of the exclusive economic zone, especially in the monument waters. He said a bunch was promised, including bringing in a lot for the economy, jobs, and even the potential of 14 jobs with an annual salary of $40,000.

“And we haven’t seen anything. Zero. And yet we’re going to give another and support another 57.5% of our waters to be in sanctuary?” Torres said.

The governor urged everybody in the community to stand up and fight this proposal. Torres said he is hoping that the community would stick together against this sanctuary and ask to remove it from the request to put into the sanctuary proposal for the marine monument.

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric is requesting written comments to facilitate ONMS’ five-year review of the nomination for the Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary at the five-year interval.

Following this information gathering and internal analysis, NOAA will make a final determination on whether or not the Marianas Trench NMS nomination will remain in the inventory for another five-year period. The deadline for public comments is tomorrow, Feb. 22.

The nomination for Mariana Trench NMS was accepted to the national inventory on March 13, 2017. It is scheduled to expire on March 13, 2022.