96 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



fleets seek out our waters, to harvest the resources upon which 

 our people have depended from time immemorial. Some of those 

 foreign fleets have already arrived. 



Our government has attempted to assess the fish stocks in 

 the waters surrounding our islands. It is alarming how little is 

 known. There seem to be no comprehensive studies of fisheries 

 resources of the Northern Mariana Islands. The best statistics 

 available from the Federal Government are based on voluntary re- 

 ports by fish buyers compiled by our Commonwealth government. 

 Thus, if fish are sold outside the Commonwealth, they are not 

 recorded. 



Even basic catch statistics required to be reported by for- 

 eign governments under Governing International Fishery Agreements 

 (GIFAs) are not available. The GIFA between the United States 

 and Japan signed in 1982 and amended in 1989 required that Japan 

 report catches of tuna and other highly migratory species in the 

 exclusive economic zone surrounding the Northern Mariana Is- 

 lands. We requested that information from the Federal 

 Government. We were informed that these reports were never re- 

 ceived. Other sources, however, indicate that Japanese longline 

 and pole and line fleets were very active in the area during this 

 period. Some purse seine activity was also reported. 



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