SPREP and TNC sign partnership agreement

Mr. Bill Raynor - Director, Indo-Pacific Division at The Nature Conservancy and
 Mr. David Sheppard - Director General, SPREP

6 December 2013, Suva Fiji:- The 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas was the perfect backdrop for a signing of a partnership between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Progamme (SPREP) and The Nature Conservancy.

Having worked together for over a decade on joint nature conservation efforts in the Pacific region, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding formalises the partnership in the ongoing nature conservation work in the region.

"We are happy to sign this agreement, it recognises our converging objectives but also the great work done by TNC on the conservation initiatives in the region," said Mr. David Sheppard, the Director-General of SPREP.

"We see this MoU as a basis for moving forward in a focused way on key issues to strengthen our conservation efforts."

These sentiments were echoed by Mr. Bill Raynor the Director, Indo-Pacific Division at The Nature Conservancy.

"This is a great event for us, we have been working with SPREP since TNC first came into the Pacific over a decade ago, it's always been a great relationship.

"While we don't do a lot of work in the South Pacific, working more in Micronesia and the Solomon Islands we are interested in sharing a lessons we have learnt, resources we have, expertise we have gained in over 60 years of Conservation work to the larger Pacific. This is a great opportunity for us."

The MoU was signed during the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Suva, Fiji this week.