145 



COMMONWEALTH OF 



THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 



Statement of Jesus C. Borja 



June 1, 1995 



"(d) PACIFIC INSULAR AREAS. -- 



(1) Within the sovereignty of the United States, the 

 people of each Pacific insular area of the United States 

 have, and may exercise, exclusive ownership rights, 

 proprietary and beneficial, and jurisdiction for the purpose 

 of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing all 

 fish and fishery resources within the territorial sea and 

 exclusive economic zone adjacent to that insular area. 

 These rights may be exercised in cooperation with the United 

 States and shall be exercised consistently with the foreign 

 affairs and defense interests of the United States. 



(2) The Governor of each Pacific insular area may 

 review and approve, disapprove or propose amendments to any 

 proposed fishery management plan submitted pursuant to 

 section 302(h)(1) of this Act to the extent that plan 

 applies to the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone 

 adjacent to that insular area. The Governor shall notify 

 the Secretary of his disapproval or proposed amendment 

 within 35 days after it is transmitted to him by the Western 

 Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. If the 

 Governor fails to so notify the Secretary, the proposed plan 

 is deemed approved. 



(3) The Government of a Pacific insular area may 

 permit, license, regulate and tax fishing conducted 

 according to a Pacific insular area fishery agreement, 

 subject to the terms of the agreement. All fees, royalties, 

 taxes, payments or other consideration received pursuant to 

 any agreement concluded under the authority of this section 

 and attributable to the taking of fish, or to the right to 

 take fish, by the vessels of foreign nations within the 

 territorial sea and exclusive economic zone adjacent to a 

 Pacific insular area shall be deposited into the Treasury of 

 that insular area. The Secretary may enter into a 

 cooperative agreement with a Pacific insular area under 

 which the United States may assist that insular area in 

 administering and regulating such foreign fishing. Such 

 cooperative agreement may provide that all or part of the 

 fees derived from such foreign fishing may be paid to the 

 United States to defray the costs of administrative and 

 enforcement assistance provided by the United States. 



(4) For any fishery for which there is no fishery 

 management plan approved and implemented pursuant to this 

 Act, a Pacific insular area may enforce its laws and 

 regulations pertaining to the taking of fish in the 

 exclusive economic zone adjacent to that insular area or the 

 landing of fish taken in the adjacent exclusive economic 

 zone. 



Exhibit 4 - Page 6 



