Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating ... - SPREP

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
Located in Piti, at the northeast end of Apra Harbor, the Port Authority of Guam operates the largest U.S.
deepwater port in the western Pacific Ocean. The Port Authority of Guam was established in 1975 and
currently handles about two million tons of cargo per year (Port Authority of Guam 2004). The Port
Authority’s Harbor Rules and Regulations (also known as Public Law 26-172) state that all commercial
vessels wishing to enter Apra Harbor must first stop at an unmarked approach designated Alpha Hotel
(13°26'8"N, 144°34'09"E), located 3.2 km west of Udal Point (Figure 5-3). At this station, a pilot will board
the vessel and ensure that it is properly aligned on the entrance range.
Vessel traffic in the vicinity of major U.S. ports and harbors is often governed by systems of traffic
separation schemes and/or safety fairways. Traffic separation schemes are internationally recognized
routing designations created by the USCG that separate opposing flows of vessel traffic into lanes,
including a zone between lanes where traffic is to be avoided (33 CFR 166). These schemes, which are
delineated by a series of geographic (latitude/longitude) coordinates, allow for safe navigation into and
out of major ports. Safety fairways are lanes or corridors in which no artificial island or fixed structure,
whether temporary or permanent, is permitted (33 CFR 167). These fairways, which are also delineated
by a series of geographic coordinates, provide unobstructed approaches for vessels using U.S. ports.
Vessels are not required to use these schemes or fairways, but failure to use one, if available, would be a
major factor for determining liability in the event of a collision with another ship or an underwater structure
(CERES 2003). On Guam, a safety fairway has been established in order to regulate approaches into and
out of Apra Harbor (Figure 5-3).
5.3 MARINE MANAGED AREAS
MPAs are considered effective conservation tools for sustaining ocean ecosystems (Agardy 1999; NRC
2000). A MPA, as defined in EO 13158, is "any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by
federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the
natural and cultural resources therein." Section 5 of EO 13158 stipulates, "Each Federal agency whose
actions affect the natural or cultural resources that are protected by an MPA shall identify such actions.
To the extent permitted by law and to the maximum extent practicable, each federal agency, in taking
such actions, shall avoid harm to the natural and cultural resources that are protected by an MPA." EO
13158 also calls for the preparation of annual reports by federal agencies describing the actions they
have taken over the previous year to implement the order.
The most significant outcome of EO 13158 has been the strengthening and expansion of the nation’s
system of MPAs. The EO provides a formal, albeit vague, definition of a MPA. Since it is currently unclear
as to what specifically constitutes a MPA, the National Marine Protected Area Center, which is part of the
NOAA, is developing a MPA Classification System that will provide definitions and qualifications for the
various terms used within the EO. In the fall of 2000, criteria were developed for six key terms in the EO
definition: “area,” “reserved,” duration (lasting),” “protections,” “marine,” and “cultural.” These working
criteria, which were revised in the summer of 2002, were established to guide government agencies in
identifying sites to be included in a national inventory of marine protected areas. This new classification
scheme will allow efficient efforts to develop and disseminate the science, tools, and training needed for
the effective design, management and evaluation of the nation's system of MPAs. Definitions of the above
six criteria are found on the national MPA website at http://www.mpa.gov/inventory/criteria.html.
Several areas of the U.S. marine environment receive at least some level of management protection. The
NOAA and the Department of the Interior (DoI) are documenting all marine sites receiving management
protection. Concurrently, the National Marine Protected Area Center is compiling a comprehensive
inventory of all federal, state, tribal, and local designated areas that meet certain criteria for either a MMA
or a MPA. MMAs are similar to MPAs in that they have conservation or management purposes, defined
boundaries, and some legal authority to protect their resources. MMAs encompass a wider range of
management intents than MPAs. They include areas of protection for geological, cultural, or recreational
resources that might not be included under the definition provided in EO 13158 for MPAs. MMAs may
also include areas that are managed for reasons other than conservation (e.g., security zones, shellfish
closures, sewage discharge areas, and pipeline and cable corridors).
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