The NMI’s fragile ecosystem

During the boom years of the 1980s, we were grandly negligent against the accompanying destruction of our fragile ecosystem. We shouldn’t take comfort in saying we were “partly to blame” for this mess when in fact we never had the political resolve to inflict protection of our marine resources.

For instance, since the advent of tourism here in the 1960s we never bothered to protect the lagoon between San Antonio and Paupau Beach in San Roque from the constant destruction of the natural habitats and disruption of the reproductive cycle of fish in the lagoon.

Not only did we basicaly ruin these natural habitats (coral reef), but we’ve also sacrificed tradtional fishing grounds of the indigenous people who use the riches of the lagoon for traditional family needs. And we slammed salt to nearly three decades of injury by delivering towering speeches to our children about the environment or about cultural revival with a sense of amnesia.

How ironic our inaction as islanders where our tradition is closely associated with the sea. But we’ve simply trashed the importance of the reef that guards this island since time immemorial. It provides both protection and sustenance to the indigenous people but have seen fit also to neglect its traditional role in favor of turning fishing grounds into a lagoon superhighway to Managaha.

Perhaps we’ve neglected the basics in our lifestyle as to think that these finite marine resources will never be depleted. Wrong! Any further destruction of coral reef will deny future generations the very opportunity enjoy a rich marine environment that abound in the lagoon. Is there anything wrong with conserving marine resources so that indigenous children can still find food in their lagoon regardless of the fate of tourism? If the lagoon is the natural habitat of marine resources that plays a key role in tourism here, must not the tourism industry become a lifetime partner in this effort?

A recent preliminary interagency survey of marine resources in the lagoon reveals substantial destruction of fish habitats–coral reef removal–especially around the Managaha area by tourists. Unscrupulous tour operators must have allowed their customers to remove live coral reef for picture-taking purposes on Managaha Island.
Such removal kills coral reef and it takes a minimum of at least 50 years for coral to grow back up again. Kudos to Representative Heinz Hofschneider for taking the lead in protecting what’s left of our marine resources in the lagoon.

Jet skis too have contributed to the disruption of natural marine life in the lagoon. If this activity continues to inflict disruption on marine life, then it is time to relocate it to Lake Susupe. The return on this tourism activity is far less for all the disrupton and destruction it has inflicted against our precious and finite marine environment and resources.

All must partake in the protection of our fragile ecosystem lest the very essence of these isles would have been lost in the sea of regretful neglect. Si Yuus Maase`!