97 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



Similarly, it is very difficult to determine how much ille- 

 gal foreign fishing is taking place in the exclusive economic 

 zone. Our local fishermen have always reported frequent fishing 

 by foreign vessels. I have corresponded with the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard asking what they know 

 about illegal foreign fishing in our waters . The very prelimi- 

 nary information shared with us indicates that five foreign ves- 

 sels have been seized in the last nineteen months. 



Three weeks ago, two of those vessels, the Choko Maru No. 15 

 and the Mlyou Zin Maru No. 131 , were arrested for Magnuson Act 

 violations well within the exclusive economic zone adjacent to 

 the Northern Marianas. We applaud the vigilance of the Coast 

 Guard in capturing these vessels. The efforts of the Coast Guard 

 and the National Marine Fisheries Service, and of Special Agent 

 Frederick Kyle in particular, are to be commended. 



Two Coast Guard cutters attempt to patrol the exclusive eco- 

 nomic zone ad j acent to the Northern Marianas , although they also 

 have other duties. They are assisted by an air surveillance 

 flight once every three months and a visit from a "high endur- 

 ance" cutter twice each year. The five arrests in the last 

 nineteen months suggest a higher rate of illegal activity than we 



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