Northern Marianas environment group welcomes marine sanctuaries
Updated
An environmental group in the Northern Marianas has welcomed plans to consider parts of the Pacific Ocean marine sanctuaries or monuments.
US President George W. Bush announced plans to protect some areas of the Pacific under American jurisdiction, as so-called "marine monuments".
An atoll near American Samoa and the waters surrounding the uninhabited northern islands of the Marianas are being considered for protection.
Ignacio Cabrera, the chairman of Saipan-based Friends of the Marine Monument told Pacific Beat it's a positive step.
"There's a lot of opportunity, especially for our youth to learn more of our natural resources that we have here in the Commonwealth, especially these three islands up nort," he said.
