In his letter to the president, Sen. Luis Crisostimo, D-Saipan, said the drafters of the regulations for the monument should take into account the economic well-being of local fishermen whose fishing activities will be restricted.
Crisostimo said the waters around the uninhabited islands of Maug, Asuncion and Uracas, which now form part of the vast monument, which also includes the Marianas Trench and the submerged volcanoes within the area, are ideal for fishing activities.
“The loss of access to these fishing grounds will greatly diminish the economic opportunities available to our people. Therefore, I respectfully request that the drafters of the regulations for the Marianas Marine Monument take into account the economic well being of our local fishermen and allow them commercial access into this area,” Crisostimo wrote to Obama.
“If this will not be possible, I believe some sort of compensation to the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is justified,” he added.
Then-President George W. Bush signed on Jan. 9 Proclamation 8335 establishing the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument.
This marine sanctuary covers about 940 nautical miles long and 38 nautical miles wide within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and contains the deepest known points in the global ocean.
The Interior Department designated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to oversee the protection of the Marianas Monument.
A Marianas Marine Monument Advisory Council which will include three CNMI officials and one representative from the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard should be formed by next month.
Once this council is formed, regulations to protect the Marianas Monument and the species around it will be developed.
The Marianas Monument is the second largest marine sanctuary in the world after Hawaii.
