Planning Begins for Management of the Marianas Trench and Pacific Remote Islands

Federal officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the NOAA Fisheries Service are soliciting information, ideas, suggestions and concerns related to the development of management plans for the Marianas Trench and Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments. These management plans will guide management of these two unique marine national monuments for the next 15 years.

 

The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument were created in January 2009 by President George W. Bush under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Together, the two monuments include more than 182,000 square miles of ocean, coral reefs, submerged lands, islands and atolls and represent some of the most remote and pristine marine areas on Earth.

 

The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument consists of 95,216 square miles within three units: the Marianas Trench Unit, which is 1,100 miles long, 44 miles wide and includes only the submerged lands; the Volcanic Unit, which consists of circles (1 nautical mile radius) around 21 undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents along the Mariana Arc and again, includes only the submerged lands; and the Islands Unit, which includes only the waters and submerged lands of the three northernmost Mariana Islands: Farallon de Pajaros or Uracas, Maug, and Asuncion. The Marianas Trench Unit and the Volcanic Unit are also managed as units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

 

The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument spans 86,888 square miles and also incorporates seven national wildlife refuges: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Atoll.

 

Public comments will be accepted until July 31, 2011. [Emphasis Added] Opportunities for additional public input will be announced throughout the planning process and public meetings may be scheduled [Emphasis Added] to help share information and obtain comments. Once draft plans are completed they will be released for additional public review and comment before being finalized. The plans will be revised every 15 years and will be reviewed annually.

 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration are cooperating in the development of the plans and will carry out their designated management roles under their respective authorities.

 

While other topics will likely be identified during public scoping, the following are among the preliminary issues that may be addressed during the development of draft management plans:

• Climate change impacts and adaptation
• Marine debris impacts and removal
• Invasive species prevention and control
• Other potential threats to the ecosystem (e.g. trespass; illegal fishing and shipwrecks, groundings and spills)
• Emergency response to natural and manmade disasters and natural resources damage assessments
• Habitat conservation and restoration
• Historic and cultural resources
• Public education and outreach
• Scientific exploration and research opportunities
• Developing an appropriate permitting program for activities within the monuments.

More information is included in two Notices of Intent to develop management plans published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2011.

 

For the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, please send written comments or requests for more information by any of the following methods:

• Email: MTMNM@noaa.gov
• Fax: 808-973-2941
• Mail: Heidi Hirsh, NOAA Fisheries Service, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., #1110, Honolulu, HI 96814

 

Additional information about the Monument and its two refuges is available at http://www.fws.gov/marianastrenchmarinemonument and http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/MNM/mnm_index.html

 

For the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, please send your written comments or requests for more information by any of the following methods:

• Email: Pacific_Reefs@fws.gov
• Fax: 808-792-9586
• Mail: Susan White, Project Leader, Pacific Reefs National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, HI 96850

 Additional information about the Monument and its seven refuge units is available at http://www.fws.gov/pacificremoteislandsmarinemonument and http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/MNM/mnm_index.html  

 

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov

 

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

(PR - April 6, 2011: NMFS, NOAA, DOI, FWS)

There is bipartisan support for a Monument visitor center in the NMI

Reprinted from Congressman Kilili's e-Newsletter, Friday, March 17, 2011:


There is bipartisan support for a Monument visitor center in the NMI — I want to thank the sixteen Members of Congress — from both sides of the aisle — who signed on to be original co-sponsors of H.R. 1207, authorizing construction of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument visitor center in the Northern Marianas. My bill envisions a multi-purpose facility for the interpretation, public education and enjoyment of the marine environment within the Monument and fulfills the promise of President Bush’s Executive Order creating this vast protected area. Don Young (R-AK) and Dale Kildee (D-MI), both second in seniority in their respective parties on the Natural Resources Committee, agreed to be co-sponsors again. H.R. 1207 is a revision of a bill I introduced in the last Congress that responds to heightened concerns about federal spending. I believe we can decrease costs without comprising the design and functionality of the facility. Either federally-managed or donated land in the Northern Marianas will be used. The Secretary of Interior will decide on the appropriate location for the facility.

How much fish can be sustainably caught in the Marianas?

Reprinted from Congressman Kilili's e-Newsletter, Friday, March 17, 2011:

How much fish can be sustainably caught in the Marianas? WESPAC will set limits - The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council is preparing to amend its fisher ecosystem plans for the Mariana Archipelago. The plans establish a method for specifying annual catch limits with the goal of preventing overfishing. In the same way that irresponsible government spending saddles our children and grandchildren with debt, fishing beyond sustainable levels steals from future generations. The area WESPAC manages includes all waters and associated near shore marine resources within the exclusive economic zone surrounding the Mariana Islands. The management plan contains conservation and management measures for harvesting bottomfish and seamount groundfish; snapper, atulai and other coral reef ecosystem species; crustaceans such as lobsters; and precious corals. Public comments are due by May 16, 2011. For more information see http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/pdf/2011-6151.pdf.

Diego calls on fellow lawmakers not to lift the ban on net fishing

By Haidee V. Eugenio, Reporter. Reprinted here from the Saipan Tribune, March 15, 2011.

House minority leader Diego T. Benavente (R-Saipan) is asking his fellow lawmakers to consider not supporting the lifting of a net fishing ban on Saipan as proposed by House Bill 17-136, citing its negative impacts on the CNMI people, the economy, and sustainability of the islands' natural resources.

“Contrary to HB 17-136's intentions for providing assistance in an economically stressed time, passage of this bill would only hurt our economic conditions even further,” Benavente said in his three-page “dear colleague letter.”

He asked his colleagues to return HB 17-136 to the Natural Resources Committee for further investigation, allow for proper public comment and presentation of scientific input before allowing the bill to be placed on the agenda for vote.

Benavente, a fisherman for over 20 years, said that lifting the net fishing ban is a step backward for the CNMI's efforts to increase its fish stock since banning net fishing more than 10 years ago.

“Adding any increased fishing pressure now will only send us backwards, further reducing the stocks and resulting in fewer fish very fast. Until scientific data shows us that we are clear from the dangerous impact of surround net or any type of net fishing, we cannot in good conscience allow this to resume,” Benavente said, citing a January 2011 report on the Marianas Archipelago Fishery Ecosystem Plan.

Benavente is also the author of the law that bans shark finning in the CNMI, earning the Commonwealth international accolades for its shark conservation efforts.

HB 17-136, introduced by Rep. Sylvester Iguel (Cov-Saipan), said that, although the net fishing ban was created for conservation purposes, it is necessary to take into consideration the economic crisis that people now face.

His proposal is to lift the net fishing ban on Saipan for only five years, and only for subsistence purposes and not for commercial fishing.

“Any sales or distribution beyond one's immediate family shall be a violation of this law,” said Iguel.

Iguel said many government employees are now subjected to unpaid holidays and 16-hour cut per payroll, while private sector employees are also faced with similar work hour cuts and even furloughs. He also cited the increasing utility costs and fuel prices.

But Benavente said surround net and other net fishing are, by design, a way to catch large volumes of fish.

“It is an insult to the intelligence of our people to suggest that these volumes would not be sold commercially and only be allowed for non-commercial, subsistence purposes. In fact, allowing the passage of 17-136 will only benefit a handful of people and potentially open our resources to further exploitation by outside sources, even if unintentionally,” he said.

Benavente said being a fisherman since his younger years, he can personally attest to the decline in the fish population. He said when he was a boy, there was an abundance of fish and all forms of fishing were permitted.

His father was the first to introduce the Okinawan style of gill net fishing and to bring Okinawan fishermen to Saipan to work for him.

“Using the Okinawan fishermen and hiring local fishermen, he was able to run his market successfully seven days a week. In fact, I followed in his steps buying boats, running a market’ and selling our daily catch for more than 20 years. Today, our fish stocks are depleted, my boat is sold and my fish market is closed,” he said.

Over 10 years ago, Benavente supported the passage of the original Fair Fishing Act, which banned net fishing and Scuba spear fishing “because we could plainly see the obvious decline in our fish populations” and the damage in coral reefs and the lagoon.

The CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife conducted a study in 2004 to 2007 with data results showing that the number of fish is increasing and their sizes are bigger compared with data from the time before the Fair Fishing Act was implemented.

Benavente said he would also counter any reports or suggestions by the Western Regional Fisheries Management Council that the CNMI's fishing resources are underutilized.

He said WRFMC's model or their use of mathematics is based on total resources from Rota all the way to Uracas, which cannot provide accurate information by which to gauge the individual islands' resources.

“Perhaps some of our neighboring islands can withstand additional fishing pressure, but the scientific evidence is clear for Saipan and that we cannot afford to allow a return to any type of net fishing practices at this time,” he added.

Pacific Fisherman Lawmaker: World Needs Moratorium on Shark Fins

Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands – Before he was the Speaker of the House and Lietenant Governor, Diego T. Benavente was a fisherman.  Today Benavente is the minority leader in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, and is making a name for himself for his conservation efforts.

“Twenty years ago I could go out in my boat and catch enough fish to stock my market,” explains Benavente.  “I can’t do that anymore.  My market is closed and I’ve sold my boats.”

Benavente believes the disappearance of fish is partly due to a severe decline in global shark populations.  The issue was first brought to his attention by a fellow fisherman and confirmed by State Senator Clayton Hee of Hawaii as well as global shark conservation groups such as WildAid and Shark Savers.

Benavente is now championing shark conservation efforts in the Northern Mariana Islands and introduced the Shark Fin Prohibition Act last year, which prohibits the sale, possession, and distribution of shark fins.  Governor Benigno R. Fitial signed the bill into law on January 27, 2011.  The shark fin ban is only the second of its kind and is modeled after a similar shark ban implemented in Hawaii in 2010.

Rob Stewart, producer and director of Sharkwater, was on Saipan to film the signing of the legislation as part of an upcoming documentary. According to Stewart, sharks are targeted globally for their fins, which are used as an ingredient in shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. 

He says that 73 million sharks per year are killed to supply the global shark fin trade.Stewart says, “Sharks have been on earth for over 400 million years and have survived five major extinctions. As the apex predator, they ensure the health of the ocean ecosystems, keeping fish stocks healthy, maintaining balance on coral reefs, and ultimately safeguarding the future of the oceans upon which we depend.”

“The world’s oceans are in trouble,” says Benavente.  “All nations, small and large, have a definite role to play in our oceans recovery.”

Benavente would like to see more governments, from national legislatures to local municipal councils, tackle the issue of shark finning and has made a challenge to governments across the world.

“A global moratorium on the sale of shark fins is a good place for all of us to start,” he says.