by Krystal Paco

Guam - Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz has reintroduced legislation that sets guidelines for spearfishing. Bill 11 would ban spearfishing with a scuba tank. Bill 11 has become a sensitive issue for local fishermen those who are pro scuba tank while spear fishing have expressed their opinions and views while those who are anti scuba tank while spear fishing have declined to comment on camera in fear of the possible ramifications of doing so.

One of those who didn't want to go on camera is a free diver who told KUAM News, "It is so important that we put a halt to this method of indiscriminate killing of our precious resources via tank-spear! Either you spear with no tank or tank with no spear! One or the other!" said Guam Fishermens Co-Op president Manny Duenas, who has a different opinion of the bill. "There's only a handful of scuba divers left on this island and they rarely go out and it's their passion they love to provide the community with some fish and safely if you look at the statistics more people have drowned from free diving, so does Senator Cruz care about the safety of our fishermen?"

Duenas feels there's enough restrictions already with the prohibition of fishing in military water and the four marine preserves that are in place.

Vice Speaker Cruz, an advocate for the protection and preservation of Guam's culture and resources, says the idea for the bill came from a group of eight fishermen who were concerned with how much fish scuba- spearfishermen were catching at one time, depleting the fish in the waters. "You can still fish," clarified the vice speaker. "I'm not saying no fishing; I'm just saying be fair about it and go down the way that fisherman go fishing with you know going free diving."

Cruz says there are some things that have to be outlawed. "I am in for the health of the marine environment, which is imperative for our tourism industry. We have to be able to protect the marine environment and the coral reef environment and both of them are inter-tied with each other," he stated.

A public hearing on Bill 11 is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 in the morning.