Micronesian leaders have urged the U.S. government to ensure increased military operations do not result in the spread of brown tree snakes in the region.
The leaders maintain the planned military buildup on Guam places the neighbor islands at risk. They asked Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to support inspections of all military vessels and cargo departing Guam.
“The effort to carry out inspections and fully fund this effort is critically important, and we request that policy be instituted to make 100 percent brown tree snake inspection an integral cost of doing business in the Pacific for the military,” the leaders told Gates in a joint letter.
CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Palau President Tommy Remengasau, Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho, Yap Gov. Sebastian Anefal, and Federated States of Micronesia Foreign Affairs Secretary Lorin Robert, on behalf of FSM President Emanuel Mori, signed the letter.
The letter was a product of the 8th Western Micronesian Chief Executives' Summit, held on Saipan on Nov. 13-15, 2007.
The chief executives said long-term planning for new facilities and operations on Guam and all of Micronesia should take into account the need for adequate inspection facilities and funding. They said that, ultimately, this would both lower the cost of operations and decrease risk of introducing the brown tree snake and other pests to neighboring islands.
They also highlighted the need for research on the eradication of the invasive species.
“We recognize that even the best inspection efforts will not eliminate the possibility that brown tree snakes will be introduced. To prepare for this, we ask that you support developing better tools to detect snakes and other new pests and to develop capacity for early and rapid response to contain them,” they said.
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