CNMI endorses Trump review of monument

7:45 am on 13 July 2017
Pacific Ocean

Photo: Public Domain

A letter from the Northern Marianas Governor has backed the controversial US review of National Monuments.

The Governor sent a letter to the Interior Secretary supporting the move this week, just before the deadline for feedback on the review.

Earlier this year President Donald Trump signed an executive order to review National Monuments that had been created over the past 21 years, many of which were created for conservation purposes.

The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument was established in 2009 and prohibits fishing and mining in the area.

The CNMI Governor's acting Press Secretary Kevin Bautista said promised benefits of such a designation had not been seen by the Commonwealth.

"Today the work remains unfinished for a management plan that is supposed to provide for public education programmes, traditional access by our indigenous persons, scientific exploration and research, consideration of recreational fishing that will not detract from the monument and programmes for monitoring and enforcement," he said.

Kevin Bautista said the review was allowing the CNMI a chance to express their views.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs