Coral Reef Task Force point of contact Fran Castro yesterday said the CNMI is working on several projects including re-vegetation at several sites like Rota and Laolao Bay.
“The CNMI is focused on three priority areas which include issues on land-based pollution, fishery management, and climate change,” said Castro, who was yesterday’s guest speaker at the Rotary Club meeting at the Hyatt.
Castro said the 24th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting, which Saipan will host at the Saipan World Resort Hotel on Sept. 15-16, will highlight the Micronesia Challenge, a commitment made by regional leaders in the Pacific area to conserve at least 30 percent of the marine resources, and 20 percent of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.
“We don’t have problems with the terrestrial resources in the CNMI, and our joined efforts are paying off to help us reach our goals in marine resources conservation,” Castro said.
Expected to attend the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force meeting are representatives of the CNMI, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
On Sept. 15, CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Guam Gov. Felix Camacho, and FSM President Emanuel Mori will be giving short messages to open the meeting.
To be discussed are issues on climate change, overview of the Google Ocean tool and the implementation of the Micronesia Challenge.
Established in 1998 by a presidential executive order to lead U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force represents 12 federal agencies, and the chief executives of Guam, Hawaii, Florida, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the CNMI and the three Freely Associated States — FSM, Palau and the Marshalls.
