Biosecurity is an ever‑evolving issue, federal officials warned this week as they urged the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to modernize its statutes and keep pace with fast‑changing threats from invasive species.
The message comes as the CNMI hosts its first‑ever Biosecurity Forum, a five‑day gathering of federal, regional, and local agencies amid rising concerns over invasive species and increased import activity tied to major military construction projects.
Angel Demapan, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular and International Affairs, said the forum arrives at a critical moment.
“Our office is very pleased to organize and host this biosecurity forum. It’s the first of its kind, and we’re very pleased to see it happen here in the CNMI,” Demapan said. “We have a lot of current issues with invasive species and biosecurity threats — the coconut rhinoceros beetle, the brown tree snake — and with the amount of imports coming in for military construction, we have to be more vigilant than ever.”
The forum held April 6–10 at the Crowne Plaza Resort, includes participants from Fiji, New Zealand, Guam, and multiple CNMI agencies.
Demapan said the CNMI has a strong foundation but must continue adapting to new risks.
“Biosecurity response is an ever‑evolving issue. Every time we catch up, a new threat emerges that requires a new approach,” he said. “That’s why a forum like this is important — so we don’t get blindsided by new developments.”
He added that CNMI statutes must be updated to align with federal codes.
“I don’t think there’s a clash. CNMI laws need to be updated to be compatible with the federal code,” he said. “There is a bill moving through the Legislature — I believe in Senator Jude Hofschneider’s committee — that would bring conformity and help advance the cause for biosecurity.”
Demapan said OIA plans to hold similar biosecurity forums in other U.S. insular areas.
