120 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



the tuna in the waters surrounding our islands were recognized as 

 a fish and could no longer be taken by foreign vessels without so 

 much as a "by your leave". But, still, the benefits from the 

 commercial fisheries harvest in our waters elude us. 



In 1992 the Special Representative of the President agreed 

 with our representatives in the Section 902 Consultations to rec- 

 ommend that the Federal Government assure the Commonwealth that 

 its participation in the WESPAC would not prejudice the claims of 



the Commonwealth to ownership and control of its fisheries re- 



35 

 sources. Early in 199 3, the Department of Commerce assured our 



Government that the Federal Government agreed not to construe 

 participation by the Commonwealth in WESPAC activities as preju- 

 dicial to any rights the Commonwealth might have in its adjacent 

 waters. 



3 5 



Special Representative of the President of the United States 



& Special Representatives of the Governor of the Commonwealth of 



the Northern Mariana Islands , Joint Agreement on Membership in 



the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Dec. 16, 



1992), reprinted in Compilation of Documents from the Thirteenth 



Round of the Covenant Section 902 Consultations 205 (1992). 



36 Letter, Jan. 22, 1993, William W. Fox, Jr., Acting Assistant 

 Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, 

 National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Dep't of 

 Commerce, to Lorenzo I. Guerrero, Governor, Commonwealth of the 

 Northern Mariana Islands. 



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