99 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



Fishery Management Council "take into account indigenous fishing 

 rights in preparing any fishery management plan under this sec- 

 tion." On the technical side, whether the Council would take 

 indigenous fishing rights into account only for plans applicable 

 to Hawaii is unclear. Section 315, entitled "Hawaiian Community 

 Fisheries," does not provide for fishery management plans appli- 

 cable to the Northern Mariana Islands or other Pacific insular 

 areas. The draft language would not require the Council to 

 take indigenous fisheries rights into account for plans applica- 

 ble to the Northern Mariana Islands . 



Section 315(d) would fund three to five Native Hawaiian dem- 

 onstration projects to foster and promote management, conserva- 

 tion, enforcement and economic enhancement of Native Hawaiian 

 fisheries. Approved Native Hawaiian community-based entities 

 would be funded to identify traditional fishery management prac- 

 tices, enforce existing State and federal laws, and engage in 

 fishing development projects. We fully support the purposes of 

 the draft statute for Native Hawaiians. 



It is not clear even that fishery management plans for 

 native Hawaiian community fisheries are to be prepared under 

 section 315. This point should be clarified. 



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