Title:
Pohnpei v KSVI No 3
Party:
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Region:
Asia and the Pacific
Type of document:
National - higher court
Date of text:
February 16, 2001
Data source:
InforMEA
Court name:
Supreme Court
Justice(s):
Amaraich, A.L.
Reference number:
10 FSM Intrm. 53
Abstract:
A vessel grounded on the outside edge of the reef which surrounds Pohnpei. The state of Pohnpei and the municipality of Kitti filed separate complaints seeking compensation for damage to the reef, submerged lands and marine resources. The state filed a motion to dismiss the municipalitys complaint stating that the state was entitled to damages from the grounding because the state is the owner of the reef, submerged lands and affected marine resources. The parties requested that the court determine before trial the legal ownership of the submerged areas allegedly damaged by the grounding.
The court looked to the Constitution to decide that the state was the owner of the submerged reef and marine resources. However the Constitution also guaranteed traditional rights to fishing and to the use of the marine resources. As such, damages recovered by the state for injury to this property should be placed in a trust for the people and the funds are to be used to repair harm done to damaged areas. The municipality failed to define the specific group within a specific area that had suffered the loss as a result of the grounding. The municipality had no general right to recovery for damages to the reef whose ownership rested in the state.
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