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TTT students learn boating safety and water quality
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Posted on Nov 17 2020
The Tasi To Table Youth Fishing Clubs, which consist of students from four high schools and their advisers, kicked off the TTT eight-month program last Nov. 7 with the clubs learning about the importance of water quality and boating safety at the CNMI Boating Safety Division, under the Department of Public Safety, and Bureau of Environmental Coastal Quality.
The students from Da’ok Academy, Saipan Southern High, Marianas High School, and Kagman High School learned the importance of boating safety from Sgt. Adrian Mendiola, while Larry Maurin, BECQ Water Quality Surveillance and Non-Point Source Program manager, taught them about water quality.
Mendiola stressed the importance of safety in boating as he recounted the rescue missions the department has done. He said that the division is primarily responsible for recreational boaters, although they also assist in rescue missions involving commercial operations.
According to Mendiola, search and rescue operations usually last three days. After that, they cease operations.
“At most, you must always think about safety. Heading out into the ocean is fun and exciting, but you must always be mindful of what you and your vessel are capable of,” said Mendiola.
Water quality
BECQ’s Maurin and Ian Iriarte presented the importance of coastal water quality and how we can play a significant role in doing our part as citizens of the Commonwealth. According to Maurin, in most instances, it is during hard rain when there is more concentration of bacteria in coastal water.
“Heavy rains produce land runoffs, thereby carrying polluted water to our oceans,” he said.
BECQ provided a basic understanding of how water is tested for monitoring of e. coli and other bacteria levels in the beaches. “Our island is permeable, where water seeps into the ground and eventually finds its way back to the oceans,” said Iriarte.
According to Maurin, one issue that we all need to stop doing is putting grease in sink drains, because these end up coming out as a solid and in some cases, clog the CUC sewer system, eventually overflowing and becomes part of the runoff into the ocean. This is one way to help: Do not dispose of grease in sink drains.
