CNMI shares coral management experience in Mexico

Three representatives from the CNMI attended the 3rd International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium held recently in Cozumel, Mexico.

The CNMI’s three government representatives (one each from DFW, CRMO and DEQ) were able to utilize federal travel funds made available for such events. They joined other representatives from Guam, Palau, the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, and Japan in the conference.

CNMI’s Greg Moretti said the conference brought together over 300 people from 45 countries, including managers, scientists, private sector, non-governmental organizations, and funding agencies to discuss lessons learned in coral reef management. A number of mayors were also in attendance.

“This was a great opportunity for those of us from the CNMI to present some of our successful management efforts as well as a chance for us to learn from the experiences of others around the world who are struggling with the very same issues,” said Moretti, adding that the CNMI representatives were able to showcase some of local efforts, like the poster presentation on CNMI’s Marine Protected Areas program.

Moretti said the conference was overwhelming because they were able to network with other managers and learn from the successes they have had in their own countries so that the CNMI could also consider using similar management techniques.

He said one workshop focused on sustainable tourism and discussed ways to minimize the impacts that tourists have on coral reefs like reducing the impacts tourists have on coral reefs is critical because it is healthy reefs that lure tourists to places like the CNMI.

Moretti recalled one presenter from the Roatan Marine Park in Honduras that explained how they use a pre-paid bracelet system, which collects a fee from every tourist that visits the marine park.

The presentation told participants that the money collected from this system goes to the management agency and helps pay for staff, enforcement officers, posters, brochures, and environmental information in hotels and hotel rooms.

“I think the CNMI could easily implement a bracelet system like this for tourists and divers who visit our marine sanctuaries. It would be an easy way for us to generate the income we need to run our DFW Protected Areas Program,” said Moretti.

He added that this system could work because there are many other places with these kinds of programs in place.

“In these times of financial difficulty, we need to look toward innovative ways to generate income to keep our reefs clean and healthy so that in five, 10, and 20 years there is still something for the tourists to come and see,” he said.

Moretti said there should never be any debate with choosing between the economy and the environment.

“The reality is, the more and more we depend on tourism, the environment ‘is’ our economy. The conference has been a great opportunity for us to learn about how other small island nations with struggling economies are managing their reefs and sanctuaries.”

A second workshop was also conducted during the conference that focused on the Pacific region and the threats to Pacific coral reefs. Illegal (national and international) fishing, the live fish (aquarium) trade, cruise ship tourism, and offshore aquaculture were all identified as potential threats that will require management in the future.

“I think it is important for us to think about the things that might cause damage to our reefs before they are here causing damage. It’s an opportunity for us to learn from what has happened in the Caribbean so we don’t make the same mistakes, and so we can prevent the widespread damage that Caribbean reefs have suffered from,” he said.

Moretti recounted the time he got to the training site he asked someone what the reefs were like. He said the people there began by saying, “well, it’s not the Pacific.” That’s how extensive the damage from human activities has been to Caribbean reefs, Moretti said.

“What we need to do in the Pacific is to plan for things like cruise ship tourism and aquaculture so we can allow for it in manner that is sustainable and beneficial to everyone involved, from the corals to the local communities,” he said.

The Pacific Region Group also discussed challenged involved with managing and enforcing remote reefs and islands that are far from developed islands, such as the Northern Islands in the CNMI.

On the topic of enforcement, a presentation from Marlito Guidote from the Philippines gave examples of some unique enforcement issues. Moretti said one solution presented that has worked very well to help combat corruption in the Philippine’s enforcement system was to enable multiple government agencies to conduct environmental enforcement, thus making the act of bribery or corruption much more difficult as it would require coercing officials from multiple agencies.

Moretti said this is in many ways very similar to the multi-agency “Environmental Enforcement Task Force” proposed by Gov. Benigno R. Fitial earlier this year.

The Philippines is also focusing much of their effort on public education in order to increase compliance with environmental laws, and have created a citizen’s arrest provision in their laws.

The workshop consisted of 49 workshops and two special sessions that considered priority issues or problems of management of tropical marine ecosystems. A special session of the conference was a Local Government Leaders Forum led by the Mayor of Cozumel, Gustavo Ortega Joaquin with other local government leaders including the ex-Mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Moretti said the result of this session was a local government leader’s statement, signed by the mayor of the Island of Cozumel, Mexico, the mayor of Zanzibar Municipal Council, Tanzania, the deputy mayor of Townsvile, Queensland, Australia, the vice mayor of Puerto Princesa City, Philippines, the mayor of Tukitumea, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, and the mayor of the City of Alaminos, Pangasinan, Philippines. The statement notes that the economic, social and cultural futures of people of tropical coasts and islands are linked to the health of coral reefs.

Local governments, working in conjunction with communities, hold the key to the future of coral reefs and other tropical marine ecosystems, according to a statement released at the symposium.