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10/06/2025- Pacific Island fishers are being urged to make their voices heard as representatives from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG), in partnership with the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), continue their community meetings across the region—this time, in the CNMI.
In response, a group of local fish vendors, fishermen, and their families attended one of these meetings Saturday afternoon at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Garapan to share their views and concerns. Among those in attendance were two fish vendors and two fishermen, along with their families.
Though the gathering was small, participants voiced serious concerns about fishing regulations, the recent economic downturn’s impact on sales, and the resulting strain on profits—from fishermen to markets and ultimately, to consumers. They also spoke about the rising costs of operations.
One of the fishermen, Arnel Obando, said he hopes to one day open his own fish market but expressed that current conditions make it difficult. “You know, nowadays it’s hard to put a market because you know the economy is getting worse. So it’s not the right time to put a market. Maybe someday soon. Depends on the outcome, of the step of the government to make the economy strong….I’m not a political guy. But you know, I’m aware of the things happening here in the island. For me, right now, I’m not against the governor, the past governor or the sitting governor now. But in my observation, they don’t do anything.”
Obando said he hopes lawmakers will amend certain restrictions. “…that they will create a law that allows the fishermen to use the net and designate a place in the time, at least that’s what I’m saying, designate a place for us to harvest. We have abundance. Fishing in the island is abundant. But we’re just looking at it. Why don’t we just harvest our own? Instead of buying outside, who’s profiting? The businesses, not the local fishermen. Why don’t they impose higher taxes for the imported fish? So the local fishermen can get some relief. Make a law that allows the people here to harvest the fish that are very abundant. But because they put the law, how can we catch? As young as you are, you know the law is really prohibiting the net. But not all the fishing places here in Saipan are coral spots. There are sandy parts of the ocean here. Why don’t they designate that place for using a net? They regulate, right? Because the fish is not sticking in one place. They keep on swimming. So when they go to the sandy part of the beach, that’s the time they can catch and sell in the market. So by means of that, the local fish that are caught are going to go to the market. What’s the effect of that? They can lower the price because it’s abundant. What if it’s very few? So they’re going to stick to higher prices.”
He added, “I hope that the lawmakers will make a law that will amend the existing law regarding the net.”
In an interview, Alexander Min, project coordinator for PIFG, said their group was contracted to host and facilitate meetings under the Inflation Reduction Act Fisheries Project—an initiative of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council aimed at understanding the challenges faced by local fishing communities.
Min said the meetings are designed as a “bottom-up approach” to gather concerns directly from fishers and community members, and present them to federal partners in an attempt to plan and propose legislation that can better serve the islands and improve fishing communities, and even food security.
“It’s really about listening to the community and their concerns,” Min said. “That’s what the council process is about—it’s about listening to community voices and taking those recommendations back to help shape future management decisions.”
Among the top concerns raised across the Pacific, Min said, are shark depredation, the effects of climate change, and overregulation that some fishers say restricts their ability to sustain their livelihoods. “Shark depredation—when a shark eats your fish or takes your gear—has been a huge issue for the region,” he said. “It hasn’t been adequately addressed, and it really needs to be looked at so we can find solutions for the community.”
Min added that traditional knowledge shared across their 19 prior meetings in American Samoa, Guam and the Hawaiian islands have also shown that fishers have long observed the impacts of climate change firsthand, well before formal scientific confirmation. “Fishing communities have lived it,” he said. “They’ve seen changes in fish migration patterns, abundance, and even size. They’re the first to notice when something’s changing in the ecosystem.”
The meetings also provide a space for fishers to discuss the impacts of complex federal and local fishing regulations that have accumulated over the last few decades. “A lot of regulations have happened in the last 20 to 30 years,” Min said. “We need to hear from the community what some of those regulations are that are overburdensome or don’t make sense, so we can work toward solutions that help them continue to fish and feed their families.” Min emphasized that the council’s work goes beyond rulemaking—it’s also about maintaining cultural ties and traditional practices tied to the ocean. “The final piece we’re listening for is the community’s hope for the future,” he said. “How do we continue and perpetuate the tradition of subsistence and commercial fishing, and make sure the next generation can carry that forward?”
PIFG will hold another community meeting tonight, Monday, Oct. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza. The session will focus on shark depredation and include a discussion on the region’s oral history of sharks, how their populations have changed over time, and how communities can work together to reduce their impact on fisheries.
Min noted that in 1998 alone, over 7 million pounds of shark were taken from U.S. fisheries—an indication, he said, of how much the ecosystem has shifted since then. “We’re inviting everyone who’s had shark interactions, who knows about the history of sharks in the CNMI, to come share their knowledge and experiences,” he said. “We want to bring science, traditional knowledge, and community voices together to find solutions that benefit everyone.”
Following Saipan’s meeting, the group will continue to Rota on Oct. 7, and will hold a meeting at the Rota Mayor’s Office, and at the Tinian Western Lodge on Oct. 8. Both meetings begin at 5:30pm.
Report by Chrystal Marino
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