Senator Jesse Anderson Lujan Seeks to Protect Guam’s Heritage
Added: (Thu Aug 14 2003)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Senator Jesse Anderson Lujan introduced Legislative Resolution 64 with broad support from his Republican and Democratic colleagues to express the sense of the Mina’ Bente Siete Na Liheslaturan Guahan that Guam’s wild Carabao living on Navy property should be treated humanly and to the extent possible should be given to people in the community rather than wantonly slaughtered
Senator Lujan feels that the carabao is an integral part of the Chamorro culture and serves as a cultural symbol to the people of Guam. Further, he feels the wild carabao living on property occupied by the U.S. Navy rightfully belong to the people of Guam, and that the current method of eradication is inappropriate, inhumane and a wanton waste.
In the past numerous other methods have been employed to reduce the number of wild carabao through out the years including efforts by the Guam Department of Agriculture and the Mayors’ Council, with the support and cooperation of the former Commander, Naval Forces Marianas, Rear Admiral Tom Felin. These programs were workable and resulted in the extraction of a large number of carabaos without causing injuries to the carabao.
Resolution 64 will hopefully send a strong signal to the Commander of the Naval Forces Marianas to cease and desist this inhumane method of reducing the carabao population. Further, it hopefully will push the Commander to adopt previously successful methods to protect this important cultural symbol.