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Gov’t urged to provide local fishermen with technical aid
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Posted on Apr 13 2001
The government should intensify its efforts in providing local fishermen with the necessary technical and financial assistance in order to develop the CNMI’s rich marine resources.
Discouraged by recent hardships experienced by the local tourism and apparel industries, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio stressed the need to fast-track efforts to develop CNMI’s agriculture potentials.
At the same time, government leaders said there is also a need to develop the Commonwealth’s fisheries-related infrastructure to entice more local participation to the sector.
Mr. Tenorio said concerns on the development of the fisheries sector has been common among the island-nations in the Western Pacific Region. “We’re still trying to get ourselves organized to address current problems.”
He said a resolution has been adopted to allow Guam and the CNMI to use grants in things other than fisheries research like the development of sector-related infrastructure while adding that a permanent anchorage for fishing vessels should be installed in any of the CNMI’s major islands.
In efforts to protect the region’s rich marine life, members of the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures has adopted a resolution pushing for the development of a regional fishing cooperative arrangement among island member states.
“Local fishermen need technical assistance, the same thing we need to know how much fish we have. There have been reports that we have so much and that offers a good opportunity for our local fishers,” he added.
Mr. Tenorio also mentioned that it would be more beneficial to encourage local people to be active participants in the fishing industry than allowing foreign commercial vessels conduct fishing activities off CNMI waters.
Despite its rich water resources, the CNMI is consistently importing more fish products from other Micronesian and Asian countries.
The Department of Commerce noted an increasing trend in the importation of fish products since 1990 though figures dropped in 1996 to 410,690 pounds from 515,900 pounds in 1995.
This, in spite of the Central and Western Pacific Ocean, where the NMI is situated, being home to the world’s largest tuna fishery, which is currently worth approximately $1.7 billion. (ARF)
