Integrated Renewable Resource Management for U.S. Insular Areas
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Integrated Renewable Resource Management for U.S. Insular Areas June 1987 NTIS order #PB87-205829 Recommended Citation: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Integrated Renewable Resource Management for U.S. Insular Areas, OTA-F-325 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, June 1987). Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 86-600595 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (order form on p. 443) Foreword The United States has political, economic, humanitarian, and strategic interests in sus- tained economic development of U.S.-affiliated Caribbean and Pacific islands. Despite a U.S. commitment to support the economic vitality of these islands, most have become less self- reliant in food and fiber production, and now depend increasingly on Federal funding for jobs, public welfare, and food and other goods and services to the islands. Interest in the development of increased self-reliance in U.S.-affiliated islands has grown significantly in the last two decades. After 16 years of negotiation, the Congress, the United Nations and three governments emerging from the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands —the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Common- wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands—approved agreements redefining their relationships with the United States. The remaining agreement, with the Republic of Palau, is expected soon, thus terminating the only remaining trusteeship created by the United Nations after World War II. Concomitant with the interest in development of island self-government has been concern over development of self-reliance. Similarly, the economic well-being of the U.S.-affiliated Caribbean islands has come under increasing scrutiny due to the growing strate- gic importance of the Caribbean Basin, and the implementation of the Caribbean Basin Initiative, Several factors contributing to the growing dependence of U.S.-affiliated islands include: scant natural resources and long distances between islands and sources of inputs, products, or markets; rapidly growing populations; tropical resource characteristics with generally high natural productivity but extreme vulnerability to disruption; and common histories of significant resource degradation. Despite the latter, the economic constraints posed by size and isolation of many of these islands dictate that much of the productive sector be based on renewable resources—agriculture, aquiculture, fisheries, and tourism. Renewable resource development can help foster self-sufficiency, but certain approaches are not compatible with sustained development (e. g., harvesting resources until long-term productivity is lost, resources are depleted, or the environment is degraded). Similarly, pol- icies, programs, and projects that seriously conflict with local cultures and customs are likely to be counterproductive. The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 1984, requested the Office of Technology Assessment to conduct an assessment of the constraints to development of insular resource-based enterprises, and the opportunities to improve sustainable renewable resource development and management on the U.S.-affiliated islands. The House Commit- tee on Interior and Insular Affairs endorsed the request. The assessment identifies and dis- cusses in-depth some constraints and opportunities to integrated management of renewa- ble resources on these islands. OTA greatly appreciates the contributions of its advisory panel and workshop partici- pants assembled for the study, and the authors of the commissioned papers. We are espe- cially grateful for the time and effort donated by the numerous contributors who served as reviewers and as liaisons from the insular governments and other government agencies. In addition, we would like to thank those from within OTA who provided assistance, particu- larly Dr. Gordon Law of the International Security and Commerce Program. As with all OTA studies the content of the report is the sole responsibility of OTA. iii Integrated Renewable Resources Management for U.S. Insular Areas Advisory Panel Fernando Abruna Jerome McElroy Soil Scientist (retired) Department of Business Administration and Puerto Rico Economics John S. Corbin Saint Mary’s College Aquiculture Development Program Dieter Mueller-Dombois Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Department of Botany Resources University of Hawaii Eric Dillingham Robert Owen Farmer Chief Conservation Officer (retired) U.S. Virgin Islands Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Lucius G. Eldredge Maria T. Pangelinan Micronesian Area Research Center Saipan Farmers Cooperative Association University of Guam Frank Peterson Sam Falanruw Department of Geology and Geophysics Department of Resources and Development University of Hawaii Yap State Government Allen Putney Michael J. Gawel Eastern Caribbean Natural Areas Chief of Marine Resources Management Program Federated States of Micronesia West Indies Lab Michael Hamnett Ralph Schmidt Pacific Islands Development Program Forest Division East/West Center Food and Agriculture Organization Stanley Hosie Rome, Italy Foundation for the Peoples of the South Ace Tago Pacific Pacific Management and Research Carolyn Imamura Associates planning and Programs Edward Towle Pacific Basin Development Council Island Resources Foundation Robert E. Johannes Patrick Williams Division of Fisheries Research Commissioner of Agriculture CSIRO Marine Laboratories U.S. Virgin Islands Shelley M. Mark Adrian Winkel Department of Agriculture and Resource Former High Commissioner Economics Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands University of Hawaii John Matuszak VI Cooperative Extension Service College of the Virgin Islands NOTE: OTA appreciates and is grateful for the valuable assistance and thoughtful critiques provided by the reviewers. The reviewers do not, however, necessarily approve, disapprove, or endorse this report. OTA assumes full responsibility for the report and the accuracy of its contents. iv OTA Project Staff on Integrated Renewable Resource Management of U.S. Insular Areas Roger Herdman, Assistant Director, OTA Health and Life Sciences Division Walter E. Parham, Program Manager Food and Renewable Resources Program Alison L. Hess, Project Director Analytical Staff Patricia J. Durana, Research Analyst1 David S. Liem, Analyst 2 Eric Passaglia, Special Assistant and Spanish Translator Meriwether Wilson, Research Analyst2 Susan J. Wintsch, Contracted Editor Benjamin Yarofmal, Research Assistant4 Clerical Staff Patricia Durana5 Rebecca Erickson6 Sally Shafroth7 Administrative Assistants Carolyn Swann Nellie Hammond Secretaries 1From August 1985. 2From January 1985 to May 1986. 3From June 1985 to September 1985. 4From May 1986 to August 1986. 5From October 1984 to August 1985. 6From August 1985 to November 1986. 7From November 1986. CONTENTS Page Chapter l. Executive Summary . 3 Chapter 2. Introduction . 39 Chapter 3 Island Structure and Resource Systems . 49 Chapter 4. Island Renewable Resource History and Trends . 83 Chapter 5. Islands As Integrated Systems . .......131 Chapter 6. Management of Terrestrial Resources: Agriculture, Agroforestry, and Forestry . .......185 Chapter 7. Management of Aquatic Resources: Nearshore Fisheries and Aquiculture. .221 Chapter 8. Technologies Supporting Agricultural, Aquacultural, and Fisheries Development . .275 Chapter 9. Resource Development Planning for U.S.-Affiliated Islands ... ..3l9 Chapter 10. Issues and Options for the U.S. Congress . ..................347 Appendix A. Maps of the U.S.-Affiliated Islands . ..............369 Appendix B. Other U.S. Island Possessions in the Tropical Pacific ....... 373 Appendix C. U.S. Military Presence in U.S.-Affiliated Islands . ...........377 Appendix D. Integration of Traditional and Modern Law.... ....,...... 381 Appendix E. Organizations Dealing With Renewable Resource Management in the U.S.-Affiliated Carribbean and Pacific Islands .. ....384 Appendix F. Summary of Regional Workshops . ...406 Appendix G. Commissioned Papers . ..........................426 Appendix H. Glossary of Acronyms and Terms . ....429 Index . .. 437 Chapter 1 Summary CONTENTS Page Introduction . 2 Insular Resource History and Trends. 6 Insular Renewable Resources . 7 Islands as Integrated Resource Systems. : . 9 Constraints to the Sustainable Development of Renewable Resources . 10 Opportunities for the Sustainable Development and Use of Renewable Resources . 11 Development Goals and Strategies . 13 Introduction . 13 Agriculture, Agroforestry and Forestry . 13 Nearshore Fisheries and Aquiculture. 18 Technologies To Support Resource Development . 21 Preharvest Control Technologies . 21 Food Preservation and Processing . 22 Market Development . 22 Cooperatives . 22 Vertical Integration of Operations . 22 Technologies To Support Resource Sustainability . 23 Agriculture . 23 Fisheries . 23 Technologies To Support Resource Recovery. 26 Integrating Technologies , . ........ 26 Planning/Policy Considerations . 28 Summary of Issues and Options for the U.S. Congress . 30 Congressional Oversight and Federal Agency Coordination Issues . 30 Data Collection and Information Management Issues . 32 Research Issues . 33 Education, Extension, and Training Issues . 35 Incentive Issues . 36 Table Table No. Page l-1. Population, Land Areas, and Estimated U.S. Federal Expenditures in U.S.-Affiliated Islands. 5 Figures Figure No. Page l-1. U.S.-Affiliated Caribbean Islands and Neighboring