FSM Information Services
Press Release
President Panuelo & Vice President George Meet Governor Falan of Yap and Director Seidel of Okeanos Foundation, and Say: “This is the real thing…Let’s do this”
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On September 12th, 2019 His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Honorable Yosiwo P. George, Vice President of the FSM, received the Honorable Henry Falan, Governor of the FSM State of Yap, and Ms. Dena Seidel, Director for the United States and Pacific within the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea. While the meeting covered many topics, including the recent outbreaks in Yap and the upcoming Micronesia Cleanup Day, Governor Falan primarily came to convince the administration that the Nation as a whole ought to develop a more robust partnership with Okeanos Foundation and its resilient and sustainable sea transportation program so as to promote traditional culture, decrease CO2 emissions, and empower citizens with more employment and means of exporting local goods, among others.
“I really do wish to express my sincere and deep appreciation, and profound gratitude to you both, for…allowing a visit in such short notice,” Governor Falan began.
“No, we’re so happy to have you—on behalf of Vice President George and I, we welcome you, Governor. …I know you’ve been doing a lot in terms of work on, you know, environment and climate change, and the cleaner ways of doing things in the Pacific. It can be frustrating sometimes because we’re so used to the lifestyle that’s not so different from bigger countries,” President Panuelo replied.
“It’s in that spirit that I came…I am embarking upon an initiative in Yap with Okeanos which I feel very strongly will be a game-changer for bringing vibrant vitality in our environment and in economic development activities,” Governor Falan said, describing how contemporary issues with transportation in a nation that is renowned for navigational expertise often leaves citizens in remote islands, like Woleai in Yap, Polowat in Chuuk, and Kapingamarangi in Pohnpei, feeling disempowered.
Governor Falan explained that the Hapilmohol-1, Yap State’s ship, has a history of breaking down at inconvenient times, and that presently, with the ongoing outbreaks of dengue, leptospirosis, and hand, foot, and mouth disease, medical supplies need to be transported to the remote islands. The solution, Governor Falan suggested, is in the two Vaka Motu canoes provided by the Okeanos Foundation in its partnership with the FSM and other Micronesian nations, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
“We’re trying to convince the [Yap State] legislature to provide [vocal and financial] support…we can see how [Okeanos] can be sustainable in the future,” Governor Falan continued. “While I am still lobbying the legislature for it, knowing your efforts regionally and internationally with the Waitt Foundation, [Oceans 5, National Geographic Society, Nia Tero, and Pacific Resources for Education & Learning, et al.]…I thought maybe it was time for me to [focus] my efforts on getting [the FSM National Government] to [champion Okeanos sustainable sea transportation for the Nation].”
Governor Falan spoke in detail about how the canoes provided by Okeanos allow for regular, plannable and sustainable “taxi” rides for passengers and the consistent movement of small cargo. “I spoke with [the Kosrae State Government] and they want one so they can export produce that the Republic of the Marshall Islands needs,” Governor Falan gave as an example.
President Panuelo, intrigued to know more, asked Ms. Dena Seidel to provide him a thorough overview on the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea. Highlights of the hour-long briefing include that there are fifteen Vaka Motu canoes in the Pacific, having collectively travelled 400,000 miles without an accident; that they operate on solar power and coconut oil, the very same product that FSM Petroleum Corporation/Vital is planning to produce in its facility on Tonoas; that the Vaka Motu have a lifespan of approximately fifty years when given proper maintenance; and that mass-implementation of such vessels would, while not replacing large ships like the Hapilmohol-1or the Navigator entirely, give citizens of the FSM living on remote islands a renewed sense of agency—that is, a sense of free will and capacity to own the direction of their lives—that is arguably presently lacking.
“This is the real thing,” President Panuelo said, noting that the Vaku Motu crew being trained in Yap are trained by Grand Master Navigator Ali Haleyalur, and that the relatively recent increase in navigation training in the U.S. State of Hawaii is the result of Micronesian techniques.
“It’s about a paradigm shift,” Director Seidel said. “Regular, reliable, safe year-round transportation…locals being employed and learning and using their culture…reducing your dependence on foreign ships…a reduction in CO2 emissions, and increases in food security…it makes people proud and want to come back to [their homes].”
“If we use it as a sort of bus system, and people know when the boats are coming for supplies…it will really empower them, prolong our culture, and teach capacity…that’s where pride and everything comes in,” President Panuelo said, speaking at length—and with genuine excitement—about how an environmentally friendly, economically sound, and culturally enriching implementation of Okeanos around the FSM is directly in line with his administration’s stated development goals. “This is something that can really promote the Nation, and put us on the map. I want to stay engaged with this—I can work with [His Excellency Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., President of the Republic of Palau] and other leaders of the Micronesian nations…to help craft and promote [this transformational shift towards regular and sustainable sea transportation].”
The meeting ended on a positive note, with the President requesting a brief voyage on the Okeanos’ Vaka Motu canoe in Pohnpei State before his departure for the United Nations General Assembly, and to setup additional meetings in the future to concretize the partnership nation-wide. “We’ll start with this Press Release,” the President told his staff after the meeting proper. “I want us to build and maintain a strong and public relationship with the Okeanos Foundation and promote this with SPREP, GCF, and everyone, [including the Waitt Foundation and Nia Tero].”
Citizens are encouraged to learn more about the Okeanos Foundation and its Vaka Motu. The main website is available here: https://okeanos-foundation.org/.
