The leaders of nine Pacific jurisdictions also vowed to work together to create a regional shark sanctuary in the Micronesian region.
Prior to the signing of the resolution, the 15th Micronesian Chief Executives Summit held in Pohnpei recognized CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Guam Gov. Eddie B. Calvo for signing into law local bills that ban the possession, sale and trade of shark fins.
The summit also affirmed its strong commitment to the United Nations Convention on biological diversity, recognized states’ sovereign rights over their own biological resources, confirmed their commitment to develop national strategies and plans and acknowledged the U.N. Convention’s recognition of the “precautionary principle stating that “where there is a threat of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity, the lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as reason for postponing measures to avoid or minimize the threat.”
The Micronesian leaders also noted Palau President Johnson Toribiong’s landmark declaration of Palau’s intention to become the world’s first national shark sanctuary.
“Conscious of the fact that, as apex and keystone predators, sharks serve as an integral component of our Pacific Ocean’s balanced marine ecosystem and that their removal from this ecosystem could very well upset this basic balance and thereby result in future food shortage,” the resolution stated.
Former House Minority Leader Diego T. Benavente, the author of the shark fin ban in the CNMI, said the most important about his measure is that it brings regional awareness on the protection of marine resources.
Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan said there was some reservation on the part of the other leaders but Fitial was able to convince them that a regional sanctuary is good, citing the ancestral ties among Micronesians in preserving ocean resources.
The Micronesian leaders formed a working group that will spearhead the establishment of the Regional Shark Sanctuary.
The group will recommend to the chief executives a comprehensive approach to develop a strategic regional plan; put up a regional sanctuary by 2012; identify potential options for short-, medium- and long- term funding necessary for the implementation of the ban; recommend systems and process necessary to support the chief executives’ declaration; develop documents to support a cohesive and comprehensive jurisdictional and regional ban; and develop preliminary phase timelines for these activities.
