BRIEFS July 18, 2014 Chinese Company In Yap Has Licenses Revoked For Illegally Harvesting Sea Cucumbers COLONIA, Yap (R&D/Commerce & Industries) — On July 14, 2014, a Chinese company located in Makiy, Gagil Municipality of Yap State, FSM had its business license and permit suspended. The company was caught illegally harvesting sea cucumbers out of season. In their respective communications on July 14, the Division of Commerce & Industry (C&I) of the Department of Resources & Development (R&D) and the Foreign Investment Board addressed the Feiyang Seafood Company. The company was found to be illegally harvesting sea cucumbers, which is in violation of Yap State Law No. 7-35, section 1012 (1) stating that No person may harvest, sell, or buy any sea cucumber, except as by declaration of an open season. C&I suspended the companys Yap State Business License for the instance of illegal harvesting, as well as for the companys deceptive trade practices which is in violation of Yap State Law No. 5-73 and its regulations. Section 13.5 of the regulation clearly states that a Yap State Business License may be declined to be renewed, among other reasons, if (g) the licensee has engaged in false or fraudulent advertising or deceptive trade practices and (k) if the licensee has violated the terms if the Business License. C&I also found reason to suspend the companys Business License when it became apparent that the company failed to renew their Business License for last years and this fiscal year 2014. C&I, in their communication, claimed that the office informed the company several times to surrender the original license for review and renewal, but the company failed to do otherwise. Section 14.3 of the Yap State Business License Regulations speaks to the fact that If the licensee continues to operate the business without renewal of the Yap State Business License, the licensee will be subject to criminal prosecution and further legal action by the State as set forth in Section 120 of the Act and in Section 34 of these Regulations. The Foreign Investment Board suspended the companys Yap State Foreign Investment Permit for the same instance, as well as for the companys failure to comply with the reporting requirements. Such failure is in violation of Yap State Law No. 8-25, Section 309 (e) subsection (5), which states in part that the holder of the permit fails or refuses to comply with the reporting requirements..., and subsection (7), which states in part as well that the holder of the permit fails or refuses to comply with any restrictions or conditions included in the permit... Also, following the recent review of the companys Foreign Investment Permit file, the Foreign Investment Board found that the company failed to renew their Permit for last fiscal year 2013. The company submitted their annual report application, but without copies if taxes filed. The Board informed the company to submit the necessary documents on August 28, 2013; the company failed to do so. Without the Yap State Business License and their Foreign Investment Permit, the Feiyang Seafood Company can no longer conduct any type of business in Yap State until further notice. The 13th Micronesia-Japan Student Exchange Program TOKYO, Japan (FSM Embassy to Japan, June 27, 2014) — The 13th Micronesia – Japan Student Exchange Program conducted by the National Institute for Youth Education (NIYE) completed its annual program which began June 15th -June 27th, 2014. The nearly two weeks in bound program was represented by 10 students and 2 accompanying chaperons from each States. The students and chaperons underwent a hectic schedule, ranging from taking part in sports events, a visit to the parliament, and exchange with Junior High School students in Tokyo, among many other activities. They also had the opportunity to visit the northern and western regions of Japan, and home-stayed for a night. Since last year, the program has seen a new modification where a visit to the Embassy was also included in the schedule. This year a total of 42 visitors from the FSM along with a handful of NIYE staff and volunteers came to see the Embassy. Each State was welcomed and had an opportunity to take photo with Ambassador Fritz and the staff. In mid July, a total of 16 Japanese students are scheduled to visit the FSM as the out bound portion of this program. CNMI Files Appropriations Bill For Fiscal 2015 SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune/PIR, July 18, 2014) – The House Ways and Means Committee pre filed on Tuesday a bill appropriating $137.73 million out of $170 million in estimated revenues for the CNMI government’s operations and activities for fiscal year 2015. Under House Bill 18-201 that committee chair Antonio P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan) and five other members signed, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. will get $50.33 million for personnel and operations—the highest budget among eight government corporations and agencies. The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. will get the second highest with $41.56 million. The Northern Marianas Housing Corp. will receive $2.44 million; Office of the Public Auditor, $2.06 million; Commonwealth Ports Authority, $1.92 million; Commonwealth Development Authority, $1.29 million; and Northern Mariana Retirement Fund, $612,723. The Public Utilities Commission did not make any budget submission. The Judicial Branch will be appropriated $4.63 million; the Legislature, $5.57 million; and the Executive Branch, $4.70 million. The Office of the Attorney General will get $581,212. For government departments, Public Safety will get $7.19 million; Finance, $4.43 million; Corrections, $3.88 million; Public Works, $3.62 million; Land and Natural Resources; $2.49 million; Community and Cultural Affairs, $1.86 million; Commerce, $922,439; and Labor, $848,794. The Rota municipal government will get $5.54 million; for Tinian and Aguigan, $5.52 million; and for the Northern Islands, $2.16 million. Independent programs will get $39.69 million, including $27 million for the Retirement Settlement Fund. For boards and commissions, $1.42 million will be appropriated. The Public School System is appropriated $32.27 million; the Northern Marianas College, $4.24 million; $1.34 million for CHC subsidy; $1.16 million for the Marianas Visitors Authority; and $172,257 for the PSS Board of Education. In the bill, Sablan recommended that Gov. Eloy S. Inos reallocate the distribution of the Commonwealth Worker Funds: $600,000 each for PSS and NMC, and $200,000 to the Northern Marianas Technical Institute. Sablan said the CW funds are subject to appropriation and should have been identified by the governor as available for appropriation. Inos’ proposed fiscal year 2015 budget is $134.33 million, which is lower than the fiscal year 2014 budget of $135.786 million after he recently signed a $12.386 million supplemental budget law. Accusations Of Corruption After Mariana Islands Announce Casino Deal SAIPAN, CNMI (Radio Australia, July 17, 2014) — Legislators in the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands have been accused of corruption following the awarding of a controversial casino license in Saipan. A provisional license has been granted to Hong Kong-based Best Sunshine International, and will be formalized with a development agreement between the company and the CNMIs Lottery Commission. A formal tender process for the license began after casino and gaming legislation was passed in March. But citizens concerned by the legislation say enough signatures had been gathered calling for either changes or a repeal of the bill that should have halted the bidding process. Russell Schow, from the Marianas Economic Research and Development Foundation, is part of the initiative calling for a review of the legislation. He says legislators repealed the bill and rushed through a re-named version to avoid the initiative. Really, what were suspecting is public corruption, Mr. Schow told Pacific Beat. Its a sole-sourced contract, of that there is no doubt. The biggest suspicion is that they went and met with (Best Sunshine), this company told them what to write in the bill. The legislators knew we had this initiative going out, we had them printed, then they rushed off to Macau, came back, forced this bill through, killed our opportunity to do the initiative. Its very suspicious. Legislators in Saipan had a history of rejecting moves to introduce casinos and gaming to the island, but the March bill was passed easily and without prior public consultation. Mr. Schow says in the awarding of a license to Best Sunshine, legislators forfeited much-needed revenue. Revenue-raising was an important part of the CNMIs administrations push for the approval of casinos. Mr. Schow says Best Sunshine will be paying the local corporate tax rate of 17 per cent on profits, rather than a higher casino profits tax. He says in the gaming haven of Macau the tax rate on casinos is 40 per cent, while in Singapore it ranges from 12 to 20 per cent plus a corporate tax. Mr. Schow says the company behind Best Sunshine, Imperial Pacific International Holdings, is not worth enough to meet the requirements of the license, which demands a 2,000-room resort and $2 billion in investment. The competitor for the license, Marianas Stars, has also disputed the process and has filed a lawsuit that includes allegations of misconduct by legislators. Imperial Pacific has previously said allegations it interfered with the bidding process, or dealt with legislators inappropriately, were entirely unfounded. The ABC has requested a response to the allegations of misconduct from the office of CNMI governor Eloy Inos. New Bill Introduced In Guam For Free Transport To Storm Shelters HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News/PIR, July 18, 2014) — Last weekends storm threat required residents who didnt have proper shelter to seek it, but some of those residents didnt have the means to even get there. Sen. Michael San Nicolas, D-Dededo, in response, introduced Bill 382, also known as the Responsible Emergency Public Transportation Protocol Act, which requires the Guam Regional Transit Authority, in consultation with the Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense, to create an emergency public transportation protocol that will include procedures to provide transportation services to families in need of transportation to a storm shelter, according to a release from his office. This past weekend, I witnessed a mother, father and two small children on Wusstig Road in Dededo pushing a stroller overloaded with household items at night, in the pouring rain and wind, trying to make their way to the nearest shelter. Unfortunately, I couldnt take them to the shelter myself because I had my whole family in the car. Therefore, I am introducing this legislation to help them and many other families, San Nicolas said in the release. The legislation states that the emergency protocol will be executed when the governor declares the island to be in a condition of readiness necessary for the activation of storm shelters. Free ride to safety The emergency protocol will include adjusted public transportation service routes, schedules and frequencies. All service charges and fees will be waived for transit riders seeking storm shelter in the execution of the emergency protocol. The need for emergency public transportation is urgent as the island has received two tropical storm warnings just within these past two weeks. Thankfully, the island didnt sustain major damages. However, we must be fully prepared in the event another storm strikes, San Nicolas said. Over the weekend, residents who didnt have transportation were asked to contact their mayors office for help. By providing reliable emergency transportation, we can reduce the risk of harm and injury to families seeking shelter. Implementing such emergency procedures will effectively ensure the safety of our people, San Nicolas said. More Pacific Voyaging Canoes Join Fleet Planned For Spectacular Sydney Visit After Epic Sea Crossing SYDNEY, Australia (Radio Australia, July 18, 2014) — Traditional voyaging canoes from five countries will now be part of a spectacular armada making a journey from Cook Islands to Australia. The purpose of the epic voyage is to highlight the environmental needs of the worlds oceans and the threat posed by climate change. The four-month journey will end with a grand entrance through the Sydney Harbour heads in November to coincide with the International Union for the Conservation of Natures World Parks Congress. The new additions for the fleet have been announced at the International Sea Transport Talanoa, which is taking place in Suva this week. IUCNs Regional Director Oceania, Taholo Kami, told Pacific Beat that voyaging societies from Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand will be taking part. He says the Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Fiji Voyaging Society, the Uto Ni Yalo Trust, so four vakas will make the voyage. The whole idea is that in September, well in August it will have to be, the Cook Islands canoe, sails to the SIDS meeting, the Small Island Developing States meeting in Samoa, he said. They are expecting 3,000 to 4,000 people to come to discuss small island issues. They will also meet the Hokulea, that is the Hawaiian canoe, that is doing the global journey, with this messaging on oceans and climate change. Mr. Kami says the aim is to put Pacific issues on the map and highlight the message from the Pacific. The message, it is climate change, and it is about oceans, and healthy oceans. The last one is just a special thing about Pacific peoples and the whole impact of climate change, and oceans and our people, and saying to the world, you need spaces like ours (marine and terrestrial protected areas) for every China, for every Africa, you need big healthy spaces like this in a climate challenged world. For the voyagers, the commitment is significant. It will take probably half a million dollars to get those canoes sailing, Mr Kami said. We are fortunate that they are available to be sailed, the crews are enthusiastic, but in terms of just logistics and planning each leg of the journey it is quite a task. We have got a team full-time, planning all these things here in Fiji. The epic voyage will start from the Cook Islands with one vaka and another will join in Samoa. Then there will be two canoes leaving Samoa. Come to Fiji, a third canoe joins, and they go to Vanuatu and then across from Vanuatu to Brisbane, Mr. Kami said. And then, hopefully, bouncing all along the coast until they get to Sydney, then waiting just outside Sydney Harbour until the World Parks Congress begins. The World Parks Congress is held just once every 10 years and the voyaging canoes hope to make quite an impact on the 3,000 delegates at Homebush. Some of the biggest commitments of Protected Areas in history have been made from here in Oceania, Mr. Kami said. From what Australia has declared—to what Pacific Island leaders of Palau, Kiribati, Cook Islands, 50 per cent of their EEZ (exclusive economic zone), Noumea, New Caledonia, 100 per cent of the EEZ. So some big, big commitments have been made that we see has global benefit. So part of the messaging is coming out and saying in spite of the threats of climate change, some of the biggest commitments being made are coming from leaders of these very small countries. And just the call to the world for more action on climate change, and a call for more action towards healthy oceans. STUDY:!Dredging Can More Than Double Coral Disease In Reefs A world-first study has found that dredging can more than double the level of coral disease in reefs. A world-first study has found that dredging can more than double the level of coral disease in reefs. Scientists have known for decades that dredging can smother corals, but researchers say this is the first time it has been linked to diseases. With dredging approved in the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the scientists hope their work draws attention to the pressing issues facing the region. The study by the Australian Research Councils Coral Reef Studies Centre of Excellence looked at the 7 million cubic meters of dredging done for Chevrons Gorgon Gas Project off Western Australias coast. There was a fair bit of dredging going there and this was an ideal opportunity to use this natural experiment to look at the impacts of dredging, sediment and turbidity on coral health, lead author Joe Pollock said. What weve found is that you get two times as much coral disease near the dredge sites as you do at nearby control sites. Not all diseases are fatal but Mr Pollock said they can have a significant impact on reef health. When you have disease, once that disease lesions passed over a bit of coral, its completely dead and its never recovering, he said. They dont get attention as much as they probably should but within scientific communities its known that coral disease actually kills more corals every year on the Great Barrier Reef than bleaching does. Theyre something thats critical to understand if you want to be able to manage different sorts of dredging projects or other sorts of developing projects. Chevron said it always anticipated some coral would be impacted by dredging activities. [The] coral loss remains a third less than the limit approved by the government regulator, the company said. Study backs Great Barrier Reef dumping projections This research will be crucial, with dredging already approved in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Area. North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation has approval to dredge and dump 3 million cubic meters of sand and silt in the marine park. The dumping is currently the subject of a legal challenge and it is not clear whether dredging will go ahead next year. The ports corporation said it welcomed the study and that its dredging and dumping would not be so close to the reef. Environment manager Kevin Kane says the research supports the companys internal work. The impacts associated with dredging are quite isolated, he said. Theyre local impacts, theyre certainly not regional on a scale, theyre certainly not reef-wide on a scale. So this research really does assist us in understanding that further. Its really just another layer that adds to some certainty about the management options that we take. Mr. Pollock is hopeful the work highlights the pressures that all reefs are facing. When we look at the Great Barrier Reef and reefs around the world, its not just dredging thats impacting them, he said. They have to deal with climate change, they have to deal with nutrients coming into the water column and then when you add on top of that the stress associated with dredging—sometimes it can be too much. The fear is you can get these coral reefs over a threshold where they shift from coral dominated to algae dominated reefs. AGENCY:!Ukraine Says Malaysian Airliner Shot Down, 295 Dead UKRAINE, Europe (Reuters/AP/PACNEWS,, July 18, 2014) — A Malaysian airliner was shot down over eastern Ukraine by militants on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency. The aircraft, which other sources said was a Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, came down near the city of Donetsk, stronghold of pro-Russian rebels, Anton Gerashchenko said, adding that it was hit by a ground-to-air missile. Malaysia Airlines said on its Twitter feed it had lost contact with its flight MH-17 from Amsterdam. “The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace,” it said. Gerashchenko was quoted as saying: “A civilian airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has just been shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft system ... 280 passengers and 15 crew have been killed.” Interfax-Ukraine quoted another Ukrainian official as saying the plane disappeared from radar when it was flying at 10,000 meters (33,000 feet), a typical cruising altitude for airliners. It came down at Torez, near Shakhtersk, some 40 km (25 miles) from the Russia border. The area has been the scene of fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels. Ukraine has accused Russia of taking an active role in the four-month-old conflict in recent days and accused it earlier on Thursday of shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet - an accusation that Moscow denied. Meanwhile, the U.N. secretary-general says there is clearly a need for a full and transparent international investigation into the plane crash in Ukraine. Ban Ki-moon said during a media event Thursday that the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, is closely monitoring the disaster involving the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane carrying 295 people. Ban adds, I offer my deep condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and people of Malaysia. Both Ukraines government and the pro-Russia separatists fighting in the region have denied any responsibility for downing the aircraft. -END- COMMUNITY MESSAGE: Laws and ethics are clear on how government property, say, a government vehicle, a tool or any other property, should be managed by those who are entrusted with the responsibility. And it is not just State property, but national property in our land. It would be lying that folks who are entrusted with the responsibility are not clear on their legal and ethical obligations against personal and illegal use of the property. And it is not lying that we make the obligations even less important when we look the other way—not our own business kind of look. We have been digging our own grave for quite a while now and this nice digging tool has been quite helpful with the digging.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:33:04 +0000