Transcript Marine Protected Areas & Marine Managed Areas of the CNMI

Marine Protected Areas
&
Marine Managed Areas
of the CNMI
Reefs Provide Protection
Primary Benefits
• Coral reefs buffer
Saipan from
typhoons and
storm surges
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Secondary Benefits
Prevent shoreline erosion
and loss of beach sand
Provide protected
anchorages for boats
Reduce property loss &
damage
Permit marine sports
activities during bad or
choppy weather
Coral Reef Ecosystems
Potential Pharmacies
• New drugs for treating
cancer, arthritis,
bacterial infections
and diseases
• In Jamaica, medicine
derived from reefs is
worth > $54 million
Living Museums
• Well-developed reefs
are 1,000’s of years
old
• Can estimate rates of
climatic change or sea
level rises
Reefs Sustain Fisheries
Primary Benefits
• Coral reefs are
vital to fisheries
Secondary Benefits
• Crevices provide a hiding place
from predators
• Reef system provides a
diversity of foods & habitats
• Protected areas
enhance
fisheries
• Fishes can grow larger
• Fish abundance and diversity
increases
Parrot Fish – Palakse`
• Keep the system in balance by
eating algae inside & on corals
• Create bottom and beach sand
• Adults lay nearly 100 X more
eggs for every 1 inch they grow
in length
• “Gives us 99 more fish (to eat)
for every extra inch we let them
grow”
Reefs Have Cultural Value
Mañagaha Island and its waters
• Burial site of Carolinian Chief Aghurubw
• Sacred ceremony of Fiirourow
– The incineration of the personal affects of a
loved-one who has passed-on
• Medicinal plants for traditional healing
• Afuk – a key ingredient for betel nut
• Traditional fishing grounds for food
Reefs Attract Tourists
Active Use Activities
• Para sailing
• Banana boating
• Glass bottom boats
• Submersibles
• SCUBA diving
• Hookah, Snuba
• Fishing, harvesting, and
beachcombing
Passive Use Activities
• Laying on the beach
• Swimming, playing
• Kayaking, canoeing
• Snorkeling, coral viewing
• Paddle boats & sailing
• Family outings & BBQ’s
• Bird watching, photography
• “Quiet sanctuary”
Protected Areas offer Aesthetic Quality
Daily tours to
Bird Island &
Forbidden
Island
Overlooks
generate $$$
• Must see places!
• Must have pictures!
Protected Areas offer Opportunity
Hiking, Mountain Biking,
Outdoor Recreation
Protecting the Living Asset
$60 million in revenue
from 500,000 tourists
annually*
Many tourists visit
Protected Areas
during their
holiday in
Saipan
*source: MVA
What is a Conservation Area
• Place that is uninhabited
• Place where cultural and recreational activities are
permitted
• Place that has specific areas designated for these
activities depending on their impact
• Place where the resources and ecological functions
of nature are protected from overuse by man
• Places that serve as refuge or recruitment area
Protected
Areas
of
Saipan
The
Mañagaha Marine
Conservation Area
Protecting our Resources
and Natural Assets
Conflicts & Concerns
Negative impacts of fishing
• high fishing pressure
• destructive fishing practices
• abandoned nets / gear and scuba spear fishing
Negative impacts to cultural uses
• Trampling and destruction of medicinal plants and herbs
• Interruption of family and traditional activities
• Loss of 'quiet sanctuary'
– noise, on-lookers, photographers, and incompatible use activities.
Conflicts & Concerns
Negative impacts of tourism and enterprise use
• Increased water use and wastewater discharges
• Gift shops can create trash, food services can attract rats
• Cats were introduced to control rats, but eat endangered
shorebirds and disturb their nests and eggs
Negative impacts of marine sports activities
• Vessel congestion can cause collisions with divers, boats
and reef flats
• Fuel, oil, trash and waste pollutes the water (jet ski fuel)
• Anchoring damages corals
Marine Protected Areas
Permit compatible cultural and recreational uses
• Active Use Zones with dedicated commercial
moorings
• Passive Use Zones for safe swimming,
snorkeling, and paddling activities
• Restricted & Restoration Areas for propagation
• User fees & permits - licenses for enterprise
• Enforcement by federally funded Marine
Conservation Section
• Outreach: brochures, signs, educational kiosks
How is a Protected Area good for the Economy?
No Fishing
Safe areas to grow &
reproduce
• Fish grow bigger & have more
young which makes more fish
available outside the protected area
• Fosters more types of fish
No Motorboats
• Corals grow bigger and more
No anchoring on corals
diverse in clean water
No water pollution
• Corals grow faster and are brighter
from oil & gas
if left undisturbed
No Harvesting
No removal of corals,
& marine life
• Tourist experience is “pristine”
rather than polluted and disturbed
• Creates a reason to return to Saipan
Marine Conservation Areas are good
for business….
• Fosters marine sports
activities in the Saipan
Lagoon
Para sailing,
SCUBA, hookah,
banana boating,
and snorkeling.
• Provides a protected
anchorage for boats,
reduces beach loss, and
minimizes property
damage from storms
• Provides food fishes to
sell at markets and
restaurants
• Medicinal plants and afuk
supply traditional needs
• Family picnics and
outings create social
benefits
• Healthy coral reef systems
are colorful, diverse and
enhance the tourist’s
experience
Mañagaha Island, its protective coral reefs and clean
waters, have served as a rich source of food fishes and
medicinal plants. They also serve as a quiet sanctuary
and a place for family to gather and conduct the sacred
ceremony of fiirourow.
Now, with society changing from subsistence ‘take’ to a
cash-flow economy, we have come to a cross-road. A
balance between the traditional way of doing things
and the realities of the new millennium must be
reached.
Maintaining a rich fishing ground, healthy medicinal
plants, a place for respecting ancestors, as well as
welcoming the economic revenues from tourism must
all co-exist.
But the co-existence of all parties that want to use the area
can only change if residents, commercial enterprises,
non-resident workers, and tourists alter their behavior.
We believe that a marine conservation area can protect
the natural resources while permitting vital cultural
and recreational activities.
By protecting our most valued natural assets, Mañagaha
can sustain our community and the needs of
generations to come. Please join us by supporting and
participating in this important endeavor.
Thank You
Thorne Abbott
Division of Fish & Wildlife
Lower Base, Saipan
664-6025
[email protected]
Mañagaha Marine Conservation Area