Pacific Island Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas announced at UN Conference

18 October 2012, CBD COP 11, Hyderabad India – The 9^th Pacific Island Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas was announced during the Pacific Voyage Side Event in Hyderabad, India.

The 11^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was the venue for the special event.

The Minister for Local Government, Housing, Urban Development and Environment, Col. Samuela Saumatua announced the event which will be hosted in Fiji in 2013.

 “This is a premier conservation event which happens every 4-5 years in the Pacific since the first conference in 1975….Fiji is proud to host this event to showcase our unique biodiversity and the actions taken to conserve it.”

The theme of the 9^th conference is on “Natural Solutions: Building Resilience for a Changing Pacific”.  It reflects the role of ecosystem services as natural solutions to the threats of climate change while developing community resilience through sustainable development of natural and physical resources. 

Fiji is a fitting backdrop to the conference.  It is host to a unique ecological lattice threading and weaving together large expanses of coastal wetlands and mangroves; seagrass and algal beds, mudflats, lagoons; and a large diverse array of coral reefs. 

 The Fiji Islands contain almost 40% of intact forest with some of the riches natural communities of all the oceanic islands of the Pacific. The island of Kadavu has the highest number of endemic birds per land area in the world while the island of Taveuni has large expanses of forest from ridge to reef. Many species and higher taxa of flora and fauna are endemic to Fiji.

“Encompassed within this vibrant ecological framework are over 390 coral species in a complex coral system housing over 1200 varieties of fish and a multitude of invertebrates. Mangrove and seagrass habitats act as breeding and feeding grounds for the various species of fish, invertebrates, reptiles and seabirds of this eco-region.”

For more information on the 9^th Pacific Island Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas please see the below:

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