national marine monument that is being conducted by a group of young people in the CNMI.
Villagomez said Pew will not be actually participating in the signature drive, but will support it through dissemination of information to the public.
Pew is asking the CNMI to support the designation of the Northern Islands of Uracas, Maug and Asuncion as a national marine monument similar to the national marine monument of Hawaii.
Villagomez said the signature campaign was launched on Monday and will be an ongoing activity until they have exhausted all avenues.
“I’ll sign the signature sheet,” he stated, adding that everybody wants to have more information about the proposed national marine monument.
Villagomez said Pew will also conduct a formal survey to gather the sentiments of the local people concerning the proposal.
Pew is still preparing the parameters for the survey, he added.
He told the Variety that their group is still pushing for the proposal despite the unwillingness of the Legislature and the administration to support it“at this time.”
Scientific and economic studies will be conducted this month, he added.
Earlier, lawmakers adopted a resolution stating that “the majority of the citizens of the CNMI have not and would not formally endorse such a proposal, until such time that more information is gathered and considered.”
Pew will wait for the federal government’s reaction to the resolution before the group determines it next course of action, Villagomez said.
He believes that the waters off the islands of Uracas, Maug and Asuncion should be for tourism-related activities and not for commercial fishing.
But he said individual fishing should still be allowed in those waters.
