At the end of the meeting at the Fiesta Resort & Spa last Saturday, the panel came up with five recommendations, which, according to Wespac staff member Joshua DeMello, will become part of proposed federal regulations.
The waters around FDM have abundant fish, panel chairman Mike Fleming said.
Wespac, he added, should request the Pentagon to reconsider the proposal to extend the area closure to 10 miles.
Currently, the military performs exercises within five miles from the FDM shoreline.
“We heard that the military is planning not only to extend the closure area at FDM, but also to permanently close it,” Fleming said.
The members of the panel are local fishermen.
“We don’t want to be in conflict with the military but the panel believes we can jointly use FDM for fishing,” Fleming said.
The panel also asked the council to support the CNMI government’s efforts to regain control over its submerged lands.
The panel likewise recommended that the definition of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument be further developed and additional scoping be conducted before the council decides on the final definitions and regulations.
The panel, moreover, wants non-commercial fishing allowed at the monument’s island units.
