115 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



PRESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATIVE RECOMMENDS POLICY CHANGES 



The Commonwealth turned to another avenue. In 1986 it ini- 

 tiated formal consultations pursuant to Section 902 of the Cove- 

 nant with a Special Representative of the President of the United 

 States to clarify the Commonwealth's authority over its fisheries 

 resources. The Commonwealth presented a position paper in these 

 consultations on the Tuna Fishery in November 1986. This posi- 

 tion paper asserted the Commonwealth's authority to manage and 

 conserve the tuna resources found within the territorial sea and 

 exclusive economic zone of the Northern Mariana Islands. The 

 paper recommended enactment of federal legislation to implement 

 this authority. The proposed legislation would have: 



1 ) provided authority for the Commonwealth to negoti- 



ate international tuna fishing agreements with 

 foreign nations; 



2) provided for the membership and participation of 



the Commonwealth in the South Pacific Forum Fish- 

 eries Agency and other international organiza- 

 tions; 



3) excluded the Northern Mariana Islands from the Mag- 



nuson Act; and 



4) provided for appropriate federal oversight of the 



activities of the Commonwealth in the conservation 



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