Teno OKs funds for survey of NMI's EEZ
Governor Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday cleared the road for a survey of the Commonwealth’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, after he signed into law a local bill that earmarks funds for the undertaking.
Saipan Local Law 11-2 appropriates $400,000 from poker machine licensing fees to various road projects on Saipan, as well as for a bathymetric survey of the Commonwealth’s 200-mile EEZ.
Mr. Tenorio said Finance Secretary Lucy Nielsen has confirmed that there are available funds from the poker machine licensing fees for the survey and the road projects on Saipan.
CNMI’s EEZ has always been a controversial issue, which was even brought to the attention of the court. The Commonwealth government has filed lawsuit before the US District Court to resolve ownership and control of the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
Earlier proposals that sought to declare that the Commonwealth’s territorial sea encompasses 12 nautical miles, with the inner limit being the archipelagic baselines established according to Section 1121 have not been fruitful because of the litigation.
The CNMI is contending that under international laws, it has the right to explore, exploit, conserve and manage the water resources within the 200-mile exclusive economic zones (EEZs).
The South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency was also involved in the dispute concerning the US reluctance to accept the jurisdiction of Pacific island coastal states over the tuna resources in their 200 mile zones.
The dispute centered on the interpretation of Article 64 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the US contention that coastal states could not use the sovereign rights provisions of Article 56, and the associated rights and obligations outlined in Articles 61 and 62, to manage the highly migratory tuna in their EEZs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tenorio also approved the allocation of $65,696 from the Developer Infrastructure Tax for the Gualo Rai Sewerage System Distribution Line, a proposal contained in House Local Bill 12-31.
The governor also okayed the release of some $378,000 from the poker machine licensing fees for various road paving and drainage projects in Precincts III and IV, as well as for the field trip by officials to the Northern Islands. (ARF)
