NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-36 November 2012 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands As a Fishing Community Stewart D. Allen and Judith R. Amesbury Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce About this document The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and to conserve and manage coastal and oceanic marine resources and habitats to help meet our Nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs. As a branch of NOAA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducts or sponsors research and monitoring programs to improve the scientific basis for conservation and management decisions. NMFS strives to make information about the purpose, methods, and results of its scientific studies widely available. NMFS’ Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS series to achieve timely dissemination of scientific and technical information that is of high quality but inappropriate for publication in the formal peer- reviewed literature. The contents are of broad scope, including technical workshop proceedings, large data compilations, status reports and reviews, lengthy scientific or statistical monographs, and more. NOAA Technical Memoranda published by the PIFSC, although informal, are subjected to extensive review and editing and reflect sound professional work. Accordingly, they may be referenced in the formal scientific and technical literature. A NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS issued by the PIFSC may be cited using the following format: Allen, S. D., and J. R. Amesbury. 2012. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as a fishing community. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo., NOAA-TM-NMFS- PIFSC-36, 89 p. __________________________ For further information direct inquiries to Chief, Scientific Information Services Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 2570 Dole Street Honolulu, Hawai`i 96822-2396 Phone: 808-983-5386 Fax: 808-983-2902 ___________________________________________________________ Cover: Courtesy of Judith Amesbury, Micronesian Archeological Research Services Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands As a Fishing Community Stewart D. Allen Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service Socioeconomics and Planning Group 1601 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1000 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96814 Judith R. Amesbury Micronesian Archeological Research Services P.O. Box 22303 GMF, Guam 96921 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-36 November 2012 Contents INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ............................................................................................... 1 Organization of this Report .................................................................................................... 4 LOCATION AND SETTING ........................................................................................................ 5 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF SOCIETY AND FISHERIES .......................................................... 7 Prehistoric Period ...................................................................................................................... 7 Prehistoric Period Fishing .........................................................................................................10 HISTORIC PERIOD ....................................................................................................................14 Spanish Period (1521-1899) ......................................................................................................14 Spanish Period Fishing ..........................................................................................................16 German Period (1899-1914) ......................................................................................................23 German Period Fishing .........................................................................................................25 Japanese Period (1914-1944) .....................................................................................................27 Japanese Period Fishing ........................................................................................................28 American Period Post-War (1944–1979) .....................................................................................29 Fishing during the American Period Post-War (1944-1979). ......................................................31 POPULATION AND ECONOMY SINCE 1980 .............................................................................38 The Economic Boom of the 1980s .............................................................................................38 The Economic Collapse in the late 1990s and 2000s .....................................................................40 Garment Industry .................................................................................................................40 Tourism Industry ..................................................................................................................41 Current Population and Economy ...............................................................................................42 CONTEMPORARY CNMI FISHERIES (1980-PRESENT) .............................................................48 Sociocultural Importance of Fishing ...........................................................................................48 Small Boat Fleet ......................................................................................................................50 Saipan .................................................................................................................................52 Tinian .................................................................................................................................56 Rota ....................................................................................................................................56 2011 Survey of CNMI Small Boat Fishermen ..............................................................................57 Saipan Fishermen’s Association ................................................................................................60 Commercial Fishery Statistics ...................................................................................................61 iii Longlining in the CNMI ........................................................................................................65 FISHERIES GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONS .....................................................................65 Federal Government .................................................................................................................65 Division of Fish and Wildlife ....................................................................................................66 CNMI Coral Reef Initiative Program ..........................................................................................69 Coastal Resources Management (CRM) Program .........................................................................70 Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council ...............................................................71 Marianas Trench Marine National Monument .............................................................................72 ISSUES AFFECTING CNMI AS A FISHING COMMUNITY .........................................................74 The Declining Economy ...........................................................................................................76 Federal Regulations and Involvement .........................................................................................76 Saipan Fishermen’s Cooperative Association ..............................................................................77 Fishing as Economic Development ............................................................................................78 Trends in Fishing Patterns .........................................................................................................79 REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................................81 iv INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE This report describes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as a fishing community. We have tried to strike a balance between the report being concise enough to be useful while covering the full range of topics and issues necessary to describe CNMI as a fishing community. Readers are encouraged to let us know if we have missed an event, activity or research report that is part of the story of the social, cultural, and economic importance of fishing in CNMI. We will update the report periodically, as social, economic, and environmental conditions change and fishermen and fisheries management adapt to those changes. We will define below what is meant legally by a fishing community. However, Lee Cataluna’s column in the Honolulu Advertiser, June 11, 2002, captures the social, collective nature of community: When we talk about “community” we tend to think of