WE MANAGED to get home the other night in time to watch the half-hour special on the National Geographic channel about James Cameron’s epic plunge to the deepest part of the ocean, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. If you missed it, it should be on again tonight.

It was well edited, beautifully photographed and narrated by Cameron himself. Having watched and waited for days for the seas to calm down enough to allow this dive, we were as excited as anyone when we learned it had been completed, and looked forward to the documentary.

The special revealed there were more problems with the submersible than had previously been disclosed. Cameron said not only did he lose hydraulic fluid and control over the mechanical arm designed to scoop up samples, other systems on the vessel were giving him strange readings. So he only remained on the bottom for about half the planned time and ascended rapidly.

He survived, of course, and he and his crew could celebrate the successful conclusion of a major scientific undertaking that was more than seven years in the making and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. There will be more dives after this one is reviewed and improvements are made to the sub.

Previously in this space we commented on the incredible worldwide publicity Guam, the Marianas and Micronesia
are getting from this new interest in ocean exploration. We also noted with pride that our very own University of Guam Marine Lab has tied up with the famous Scripps Oceanographic Institute on a five-year collaboration plan.

This is all good. A little more puzzling is a resolution introduced into the 31st Guam Legislature this week by Sens. Aline Yamashita and Rory Respicio, who think Guam, the CNMI and Micronesia aren’t getting appropriate recognition for our proximity to the deepest point in the ocean. And, they suggest, we should even be collecting some kind of a fee – perhaps $25,000 to $75,000 – before anybody else goes down into the trench.

The government of Nepal, they note, elicits a fee whenever anyone wants to climb Mt. Everest, coincidentally about the same height as the trench is deep. The resolution asserts “the people of Guam, the CNMI and Micronesia deserve to be compensated by the exploitation of their natural treasures and resources, inasmuch as others, such as National Geographic and James Cameron will surely benefit.”

Apart from the fact that National Geographic is a nonprofit scientific organization, and Cameron put up his own millions to underwrite his dangerous adventure, we’re mystified at the intent of this odd piece of legislation. One wag even suggested on Facebook that they may want to explore positioning a floating toll booth over the Challenger Deep.

In the unlikely event this resolution passes, it is only to be sent to Gov. Eddie Calvo. We can think of a round receptacle where he should file it. Maybe former Sen. Robert Klitzke is right about that part-time Legislature idea.