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COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



Ownership interests 



Our proposed amendments to the Magnuson Act legislation ac- 

 knowledge that the ownership interest in fisheries resources is 

 vested in the people of the Commonwealth and the other Pacific 

 insular areas, while other aspects of sovereignty are retained by 

 the Federal Government. I have already explained why this ac- 

 knowledgment should be made: our traditional dominion of the sea 

 and international law require that the Federal Government recog- 

 nize this ownership interest. This does not mean that we own 

 outright all the fish that swim in these waters. Any fisherman 

 who lawfully catches them owns those fish. Our people's interest 

 is proprietary and beneficial. Neither does it mean that our 

 interests exclude federal rights. I emphasize here that our 

 draft amendments are careful to ensure that the rights of the 

 Federal Government with respect to national security and the man- 

 agement of foreign affairs are not affected in any way by ac- 

 knowledgment of our ownership interests. 



Revenue s 



Congress and the Federal executive branch have long urged us 

 to rely on our own natural resources and less on assistance from 

 the Federal Government. One of the principal resources relied 

 upon by the independent nations near us is fisheries, principally 



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