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09/12/2025 - More than 100 people have signed a petition supporting marine sports operators and small business owners in the Marianas after the CNMI Department of Public Lands abruptly announced it will close the Garapan Fishing base pier for safety.
In a widely circulated petition on social media, residents signed on to a statement that read, “We are making this statement to call for leadership and collaboration. It is about the choices we make now that will determine whether our community has a future that sustains families, jobs, and opportunities.”
The authors of the petition said they agree with DPL’s decision to close the Garapan Fishing Base pier for safety.
They explained, “No one wants injury or liability. What is difficult is not the closure itself, but the way it was handled—no notice, no written communication, and no plan for where businesses could go next. The pier has been deteriorating for years, and yet there has been no clear plan shared for how these facilities would be repaired or replaced.”
The petition said that while visitors come to the CNMI for the ocean and outdoor experience, boaters do not have a safe place to dock.
“Smiling Cove is reserved for private leisure boats. The outer cove is unsafe. Commercial operators, who pay fees and taxes, are forced to haul boats by trailer for every operation—carrying heavy equipment by hand, at personal risk and expense. This is not sustainable. The transient dock at Smiling Cove does provide access for launching and loading, but the high fees, coupled with long wait times under hot and uncomfortable conditions, make the process costly and inconvenient for operators and passengers alike,” the petition states.
They added, “What we seek is a clear, public strategic plan for repairing and developing marine access points, with timelines and interim measures; safe, affordable, and accessible facilities for commercial operators who form a critical part of the tourism economy; a government that does more than respond to emergencies—one that plans ahead; genuine engagement with business owners and stakeholders to find solutions that work.”
The petition urges leaders to work together with the community and invite marine sports operators and small business owners to the table.
Report by Thomas Manglona II
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