that would serve as a road map through which a management plan for the Northern Reefs would eventually be developed and implemented.
The declaration states that the “Leaders and people of Ngarchelong hold a vision of continuing the centuries-long tradition of caring for the abundant resources of the Northern Reefs, thereby safeguarding the natural heritage and livelihoods of the present and future generations of the people of Ngarchelong, as well as strengthening the people’s respect for, and connection to, those resources.”
The declaration came about as a result of a three day summit – the Ngarchelong Leaders Summit (May 6-8) – in which the traditional and elected leaders of the state were accorded opportunities to view and listen to presentations on past, current, and on-going studies of reefs and marine resources, implemented marine management programs, alternative marine coastal programs practiced through the region and the world; visited sites and locations of traditional fishing grounds of the Northern Reefs and current monitored areas; and with the assistance and support of various agencies and professional individuals, make decisions that would lead to an effective management plan of the Northern Reefs and its resources that are within the jurisdiction of the state.
The Mengellakl Declaration, according to Abraham Osima, Floor Leader of the Ngarchelong State Assembly, is a consummation of everything that was presented, questioned, and discussed amongst the leaders of the state and members of the technical advisory committee – individuals who were selective picked from varying agencies and organizations throughout the region and world.
Further, Osima said, the Mengellakl Declaration essentially are the decisions that the leaders have all agreed upon as the “building blocks” of needed to develop an effective Northern Reefs management plan. Moreover, the signatories confirm that the declaration is a living document; and thus, will continually be referred to as the state – the leaders and the people – make progress towards the development of a management plan for the Northern Reefs.
