Samples collected from Tanapag Meeting Hall, DPW Channel Bridge, S. Puerto Rico Dump, American Memorial Park, Dai Ichi Drainage, Garapan Beach Drainage on Saipan and Mobil Stormdrain on Rota contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria – enterococci — that exceeded the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water. However, studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain these bacteria from the natural environment, which may not be directly associated with public health concerns.
DEQ analyzes samples of marine recreational and storm drainage water from 50 locations on Saipan, 10 on Tinian, 12 on Rota and a total of 11 samples from the shore surrounding Managaha.
Marine water quality reports are also provided at www.deq.gov.mp/section.aspx?secID=4 and http://www.cnmicoralreef.net/wq/beachcloseweeklyresults. htm. The agency welcomes all inquiries as to the quality of the beach water. The public is encouraged to contact DEQ at 664-8500 with any questions concerning this matter.
Tinian DPS to conduct checkpoints this weekend
TINIAN (DPS) — The Tinian Department of Public Safety will conduct an insurance checkpoint today, Nov. 7, along Broadway Road by the baseball field in San Jose, from 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
The second Insurance checkpoint will be conducted on the same date along Broadway Road by the Tinian Democratic headquarters.
The checkpoint will start at 10 p.m. and ends at 11:15 p.m.
Both checkpoints are subject to be terminated if it begins to rain.
Tinian DPS will also conduct a DUI/sobriety checkpoint on Saturday, Nov. 8, along Broadway Road by the baseball field in San Jose from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Moreover, traffic officers will conduct an occupant protection/ child restraint checkpoint on the same date, Nov. 8, along Broadway Road near the Star Plaza.
The checkpoint will start at 11 a.m. and end at 12:15 p.m. Both checkpoints will be terminated if it begins to rain.
NMC English Placement Test schedule
(NMC) — Northern Marianas College will be conducting an English placement test on the following days:
• Dec. 10, Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., Room D-1
• Dec. 11, Thursday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Room D-1
• Jan. 8, Thursday, 5-8 p.m., Room D-1
• Jan. 9, Friday, 1-4 p.m., Room D-1
• Jan. 14, Wednesday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Room A-6
No admittance to the testing room will be allowed after the starting time.
Those who wish to take the test must bring a valid photo ID — driver’s license, passport or school ID — and pencils.
There is a $25 fee that must be paid in advance at the NMC cashier’s office.
Students will not be admitted to the testing room without proof of payment — a receipt for either the placement test fee or the NMC application fee. Payment for the application fee will cover the English placement test fee.
If you have any questions, call Mark Haag at 234-5498 ext. 1733 or 1242.
Illegal hunting of fruit bat on Rota continues
(DFW) — Between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 2008, CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife employees discovered the occurrence of illegal hunting at two Mariana fruit bat colonies on Rota.
On Oct. 31, DFW employees arrived at a relatively new fruit bat colony to conduct regular monitoring activities only to find no bats at the colony roost site, the ground littered with .410 and 12-guage shotgun shells, and the carcass of a fruit bat.
Based on the state of decay and the garbage left behind, it was determined that the illegal hunting occurred on or around Oct. 26.
The following day on Nov. 1, while again on a routine survey, DFW personnel discovered another Mariana fruit bat colony had been illegally hunted, as evidenced by fresh blood on rocks below the colony, the presence of .410 and 12-gauge shotguns shells, a dead juvenile male bat and a dead female bat with an infant still clinging to her.
Prior to arriving at the colony site DFW personnel had encountered five hunters leaving the vicinity of the colony.
Upon discovering the evidence of illegal hunting, DFW personnel left the site and reported the events to the local Rota Department of Public Safety.
Rota police told division employees that they will investigate the poaching.
Approximately 190 fruit bats were disturbed between the two hunting events, and any surviving fruit bats have abandoned the colony site, likely to find safe haven elsewhere.
This is the third poaching event in six months on Rota, the previous event having occurred in June 2008.
Division biologists estimate that between the three poaching events at the colony sites, 10-14 percent of the islands fruit bat population has been killed.
The current population on Rota after these events is approximately1,000 fruit bats, whereas in the 1990’s and early 2,000 there were approximately 2,500.
Hunting at fruit bat colonies is particularly harmful as the colonies are primarily composed of females, infants and juveniles, with a few breeding males.
The hunting of females with young decreases the chances for population growth.
Mariana fruit bats only produce one young at a time, which may stay with the female for at least a year; therefore, reproduction is very slow, which in turn causes the population to grow slowly.
Mariana fruit bats have been listed as endangered and there has been a moratorium on hunting in the CNMI since the 1990’s.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service listed Mariana fruit bats as endangered in 2005 in the CNMI because of an alarming decline in the fruit bat population.
Hunting the Mariana fruit bat is a federal offense punishable in a federal court of law as it is a federally listed and protected endangered species. Mariana fruit bats have been federally protected as endangered in Guam for several years.
