Over 40 high school students attended the first Marianas Archipelago High School Fisheries Symposium facilitated by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council at the Fiesta Resort on Saturday.
Castro said the symposium made him appreciate the islands’ environment and “what the waters surrounding us can give us.”
The students also learned about different marine educational and career opportunities.
They got to watch a demonstration about the traditional ways and methods of fishing.
Kelvin Palacios, 17, said he is out of school but he attended the symposium after reading about it in the Variety.
“I learned that the fishery council is here to assist fishermen and monitor fishing activities,” he said.
He enjoyed the booths and the games featured during the event.
Asked how the symposium helped him, he said “I want to be a fisherman like my father. This symposium taught me that I need not go to the U.S to earn money because I can just go fish my way to being a millionaire.”
During the symposium, the students learned about marine courses at Northern Marianas College as well as the high school summer courses on marine fisheries and resources.
The students also received copies of the traditional lunar calendars from the council and the Division of Fish and Wild life.
Fishery council on-site coordinator Jack Ogumoro, in an interview, said he is happy with the turnout and is already looking forward to more events with the students.
Ogumoro said the symposium aimed to “encourage high school students to appreciate the islands, the marine environment and hopefully encourage them to pursue a career that will help the islands such as marine biology.”
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