Marine Protected Areas & Marine Managed Areas of the CNMI
Dec 18, 2015
Marine Protected Areas&
Marine Managed Areas
of the CNMI
Reefs Provide Protection
Primary Benefits• Coral reefs buffer
Saipan from typhoons and storm surges
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
• Protected areas enhance fisheries
Secondary Benefits
• Crevices provide a hiding place from predators
• Reef system provides a diversity of foods & habitats
• 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 ValueMañagaha 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
ofSaipan
TheMañagaha Marine Conservation Area
Protecting our Resources and Natural Assets
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
Conflicts & Concerns
Marine Protected AreasPermit 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 FishingSafe areas to grow &
reproduce
No Motorboats No anchoring on corals
No water pollution
from oil & gas
No Harvesting No removal of corals,
& marine life
• Fish grow bigger & have more young which makes more fish available outside the protected area
• Fosters more types of fish
• Corals grow bigger and more diverse in clean water
• Corals grow faster and are brighter if left undisturbed
• 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.
Mañagaha Marine Conservation Area