May 18, 2022 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
The Guam Museum will screen the new documentary “Open Ocean Fishing in the Mariana Archipelago” Saturday, May 28, at 2 p.m. A panel discussion with fishermen from Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will follow, and be live-streamed on the Guam Museum’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts. Admission is free.
The original inhabitants of the Mariana Islands were great open-ocean fishermen for 3,000 years, catching marlin and other deep-sea fish from their sailing canoes. After Spanish colonization in 1668, warfare, disease and the relocation of the remaining people put a stop to CHamorus building their såkman canoes, sailing between islands. It led to a 200-year gap (1750-1950) where they did not fish in the open ocean. After World War II, and with the introduction of modern boats with motors, CHamorus have returned to the open ocean, leading to a resurgence in deep-sea fishing.
The screening and panel discussion is the fourth Heritage-Ideas-Traditions-Arts or HITA Talk of 2022, a monthly education program and lecture series offered by the Guam Museum. Funded by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, directed by Judy Amesbury and produced by Shooting Star Productions, the film is also available on the Council’s YouTube page: youtube.com/watch?v=jf56B6YaJ0I.
“We are excited to have Ms. Amesbury present her video on this topic,” said Dr. Michael Bevacqua, Guam Museum curator. “In our permanent exhibit, we have a section on ancient CHamorus’ skill in deep-sea fishing, alongside an image and model of a 15-foot-long blue marlin caught off the coast of Litekyan that held the world record for a number of years.” Bevacqua added, “People find this connection from past to present fascinating, and this documentary and HITA Talk can help bring out this cultural continuity.”
Judith R. Amesbury earned her degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona. She has worked with Micronesian Archaeological Research Services, Guam, for more than 25 years. Her area of expertise is marine resource use. Amesbury has authored numerous reports and publications about fishing and invertebrate collecting, and shell artifacts in the Mariana Islands.
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council manages federal fisheries operating in waters offshore of the State of Hawai‘i, the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, the CNMI and the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Areas.
Read the full release at Mariana Variety