Policies must be put into action: SPREP Director General

By Carolyn Kitione, Journalism student University of the South Pacific

2 December 2013, Suva Fiji - Delegates to the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas have been urged to get involved in the Action Strategy for Nature Conservation that will endorse practical actions and priorities for the next five years.
In his opening remarks, SPREP's Director General Mr David Sheppard said the conference should be seen as a stepping stone toward more effective biodiversity conservation in the Pacific.


"Our conference this week is a landmark opportunity to protect and better manage our precious Pacific biodiversity," he said.
 The Pacific’s biodiversity was at high risk as the extinction rates in the region were among the highest in the world.
"In the Pacific region our biodiveristy is of global significance with high endermism and biodiversity," he said.


"For example, 7 per cent of the planet's biodiversity is located within Papua New Guinea, even though it represents 0.6 per cent of the global land area".

Mr Sheppard also focused on the linkages between biodiversity and other key issues in the region, specifically with regards to climate change, quoting the Kiribati President, "climate change is a matter of national security".

Carolyn Kitione is a member of the Media Team providing coverage of the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas from 2 to 6 December in Suva, Fiji.  This is a partnership between the Fiji National University (FNU), University of the South Pacific (USP), SPREP and Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) whereby a team of 10 journalism students are mentored by senior reporters as they cover the conference.  This activity is  funded by the Pacific Assistance Media Scheme (PACMAS).