Oceania presence at global conference on wetlands

5 July, 2012, Bucharest, Romania - The Pacific island region boasts six wetlands of international importance with more on the horizon.

Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Samoa are Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which will be holding its 11th Conference of the Parties in Romania over the next two weeks.

A key pillar of this Convention is to strengthen the wise use of wetlands around the world.  It has 162 contracting parties of which the Pacific Islands are grouped with Australia and New Zealand under the Oceania region, one of the six Ramsar regions.

Lake Ngardok, a Ramsar Wetland site of Importance, Palau

12% of the Earth’s land surface is made up of wetlands.  In the Pacific region Mangroves and coral reefs are the two main wetland types, containing 3% of the world’s mangroves and about 25% of the world’s coral reefs.

Right now there are seven members of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) that are contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands with other members such as Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu, in the process of joining.

 “We are often asked when you join, what can the convention give them?  We often find that it’s up to the parties to utilize the Ramsar convention and brand to raise funds for their Ramsar Sites,” said Lew Young, the Senior Regional Adviser for Asia – Oceania.

Japan is an example of how the Ramsar Convention is used to promote sustainability of their wetlands.  In Japan there are approximately 46 Ramsar sites, all of which have clear logos identifying them as wetlands of international importance, these are usually driven by the local community to help attract development and tourism.  Within this there is often the opportunity to promote sustainable use of the wetlands such as organic rice farming, which then leads to the selling of organic rice that can attract a higher price so local farmers then benefit.

Lew Young addresses Oceania delegates at regional meeting

“This really takes on board the spirit of the Convention,” said Young, “so it’s not just about conserving wetlands for the birds it’s about getting communities involved, helping rural developments and so on  - this is part of the bigger, broader concept.”

There is over 190 million hectares from 2,000 wetland sites around the world, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

In the Pacific the Marshall Islands are working to add their second Ramsar Site  – the Namdrik Atoll, Fiji plans to add two more sites - Nasoata Islet  and Lake Tagimoucia.

“It will be really good to see the Pacific develop some strong projects on the ground so decision makers can see the benefits of wetland conservation.  Hopefully partnerships between the Oceania parties and between some Asian parties, will provide support where there are gaps to bring this about; and help share ideas of possible ways forward.”

While attending the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Oceania region will meet regularly to coordinate their presence at the different discussion threads at the Conference of the Parties.

The 11th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention is from 6 – 13 July, in Bucharest, Romania. Delegates from Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau and Samoa are attending the conference.

The Pacific Year of the Dugong; Respect and Protect

14 March, 2011, Palau - The campaign to progress the protection of the dugong, led by the Secretariat of Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and its partner the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS), will target local coastal and fishing communities and water craft users in the Pacific region.

Awareness and outreach activities highlighting the need for protection of dugongs in the Pacific Islands region will be the focus of the campaign being initiated through national launches in New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

A number of initiatives to build local capacity to deliver positive conservation outcomes for dugongs in the Pacific Island region will also be promoted throughout the Pacific Year of the Dugong.

A new pilot project using financial incentives to address direct hunting and the incidental capture of dugongs by changing people’s practices and improving the livelihoods of local communities in Daru Papua New Guinea are among the initiatives to be promoted under the Pacific Year of the Dugong 2011.

Dugongs, which play a significant ecological role in the functioning of coastal habitats, live in warm coastal and islands waters from East Africa to Vanuatu in the Pacific.

The conservation and plan developed under the United Nations Environment Programme/CMS Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their Range (Dugong MoU) provides the framework for the regional cooperation for the long-term protection of dugongs in the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, South Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Specific to the Pacific Islands region, SPREP has a regional Dugong Action Plan 2008-2012.

All range states in the Pacific Island region (Australia, Papua New Guinea, Palau, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) have committed to the Dugong MoU as signatories. In 2010 Palau declared a marine mammal sanctuary, which includes dugongs, within its Economic Exclusive Zone.

For more information on the Pacific Year of the Dugong 2011, please visit: http://www.sprep.org/biodiversity/PYOD/index.html

The 2020 Biodiversity Strategic Plan

The Pacific Voyage Media Team

22 October 2010 Nagoya Japan - Over 6,000 participants representing the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are meeting in Nagoya Japan to finalise the negotiation on a new global strategic plan for biodiversity.  Having failed to meet the 2010 target to halt the rate of biodiversity loss, a new plan is on the table for discussion.  This one that has taken into account the lessons learnt of the past decade.

It is forecast the “Aichi, Nagoya Agreement” will have a 2050 vision, with a focus on the period 2011 – 2020.

For the Pacific region, this plan is crucial to helping sustain livelihoods.  The value of island biodiversity not only encompasses economic benefits, it has also provided communities with cultural traditions and is the foundation for our Pacific way of life.

Some 90% of land in the Pacific region is still held in traditional ownership.  Our corner of the globe provides 60% of the World’s tuna fisheries; has more endemic species than anywhere else on the Planet and also has 1,060 species known to be threatened with extinction.

The loss of biodiversity will impact upon our region significantly as for Pacific communities biodiversity is more than “something nice to look at.”  It is the food we eat, the source of our income to support our families, our traditional medicines and our culture.

The Pacific, like other regions of the globe, is committed to ensuring that this time we come to an agreement on a plan that will work for us all.

“Biodiversity is important to the whole region because it gives us resources that help to sustain our life on a daily basis,” said Eleni Tokoduadua of Fiji.

“It’s not only for our culture, it is for our livelihood our tradition and I think it’s important that we ensure that it is protected for the future generations who will benefit from it as well.”

It is proposed that a 20-point plan act as the map to help the Planet address the biodiversity crisis by 2020, however the issue for this is the question of financing to help save biodiversity.

There are currently two options being discussed as to the mission of the new plan; one option is to take action towards halting the loss of biodiversity and by 2020 to have reduced the pressures on biodiversity and restored ecosystems and ecosystem services.  The second option is to halt biodiversity loss by 2020 provided sufficient funding is made available.

“We need to look at how to align and update our National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans with the new CBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and at the same time identify options for funding to implement the new targets,” said Faleafaga Toni Tipama’a of the Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The post 2010 Strategic Plan contains the 20 point plan which encompasses; raising the awareness of the value of biodiversity, to reduce pressures on biodiversity, safeguard ecosystems and to raise the benefits from biodiversity to all. 

It is proposed that these must be met by 2020 by achieving goals such as; making people aware of biodiversity and what they can do; control or eradicate invasive species; ensure fair "access and benefit sharing" of genetic resources that would set guidelines to allow pharmaceutical companies - for instance, to use plants in the Amazon in return for sharing benefits with local indigenous peoples. Some nations want a linked fund to help developing nations; and all countries should have adopted a "national biodiversity strategy and action plan."

Countries are being asked to commit to targets that they will be able to reach in terms of dedicating marine and land protected areas to achieve nature conservation.

In the Pacific a key concern is ensuring that we commit to targets that can be achieved with adequate and timely provision of resources to carry these out in our region.

“We must make sure that targets are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) with realistic sets of indicators to monitor progress towards achieving these targets” said Faleafaga.

“Our negotiations now are for us to set realistic targets that will see the region sustain nature conservation work we already have underway.  We have reached 2010, now we need to move forward to 2020 with a realistic goal.”

Papua New Guinea is also taking into account the impacts of climate change upon our biodiversity and how this could be included in the 2020 Strategic plan.

“Biodiversity protection cannot be isolated from the climate change impacts,” said Rose Singadan of the Papua New Guinea delegation, Singadan is the Manageress of Protected Areas in PNG.

“Any strategy we do must take into consideration climate change due to our low lying islands and mountainous areas.  Climate change will affect everything that we are talking about here, it is important we consider climate change in the 2020 Strategic Plan.

For more on the 2020 Strategic Plan please visit: 
http://www.cbd.int/cop/cop-10/doc/press/press-briefs-en.pdf

Taxonomy, an endangered science

The Pacific Voyage Media Team

21 October Nagoya Japan - Taxonomy is a dying skill in the Pacific region, it is the science of naming living organisms, describing them and classifying them according to an international code specifically used to classify species.

Not only is it a fading science in the Pacific, it is also under threat globally.  The concern at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is the need for strong commitment and funding to address this problem.  It is hoped that at this meeting, there will be a common interest to actively work to revive the global capacity in the science of taxonomy.

While taxonomy has been addressed in previous Conferences of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, there has not been enough support.

“We are trying to get the attention of the world and parties to recognise that without building this capacity in taxonomy we are not able to implement a lot of objectives and targets that are talked about at this meeting,” said Dr. Posa Skelton, a taxonomist and the coordinator of the Pacific Invasives Learning Network (PILN).

“In order for us to be able to protect our biodiversity and ecosystems, we really need to understand what species are in our biodiversity and this is what taxonomy is.”

The Pacific region contains more endemic species than anywhere else on earth; almost 7% of the Worlds biodiversity is housed in Papua New Guinea in just 0.6% of global land area.  With such rich abundant biodiversity in the Pacific region new species are being discovered and named each year, however it is estimated that there is so much in our area that is still to be named, described and classified.

There are few Pacific taxonomists at work in the region which means this science is being carried out by those from outside of the Pacific.  When this happens, there is the risk that the information about Pacific organisms is published in international journals for which Pacific people don’t have access to, or fully understand.

“If we built capacity in the Pacific islands countries to do taxonomy, then we can understand the science more, explain it better and help raise awareness as to our Pacific biodiversity.  The thing with taxonomy is that it is not only science based, it is also linked to knowledge of use.  A lot of our biodiversity is used for traditional purposes and unless this if officially recorded, it is information that we are losing.”

While the “Aichi-Nagoya Statement”, an international strategic plan to protect biodiversity is forecast to come out of this conference, before that can happen is the need to know what the Worlds species are.

“Although the targets for the new strategy have not been finalised, most things which are being talked about at this conference requires the knowledge of taxonomy.  It is crucial that we strengthen this science.”

Papua New Guinea raising issues at Biodiversity Conference

Pacific Voyage Media Team

Papua New Guinea delegates with SPREP's Easter Galuvao

20 October Nagoya, Japan - Papua New Guinea’s main concern at the CBD COP10 is the issue of biodiversity loss as a result of the effects of climate change.  Similar sentiments are being expressed by a strong and committed delegation from other Pacific Island Countries.

Ms Kay Kalim, Deputy Secretary of the Sustainable Environment Program under PNGs Department of Conservation, is confident that PNG, as part of the Pacific delegation will use this opportunity to promote the Pacific issues on biodiversity, biodiversity loss and that of climate change.

“One concern that PNG would to take to this agenda is the REDD +,” said Ms Kalim.

At the CBD COP10, Ms Kalim says that Pacific island countries should try to advocate issues that are affecting the Pacific because of the minority status adding that the Pacific is clustered in the big ocean and is isolated from decision making mechanisms.

 PNG would also like to gain support on the issue of donor agencies enabling activity funds to be directly provided to countries.

“With direct budget funding, countries will be able to carry out their activities faster as there will be no delay in receiving the funding.”

She said CBD COP10 is a time for negotiation and if PNG and the Pacific have their views captured then it will be a huge milestone adding that for the past 10 years there has been little progress made to protect biodiversity.

The PNG delegation is working closely with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on issues of Forestry and biodiversity, agriculture and in-land biodiversity.

Papua New Guinea contains close to 7% of the Planet’s biodiversity in just 0.6% of the global land area.

Turtle Conservation in Papua New Guinea: Karkum Conservation Area

By Clive Hawigen International Year of Biodiversity Campaign Coordinator at SPREP

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s (SPREP) financial assistance of US$2000 to the Mas Kagin Tapani Association (also known as Makata), a community based conservation organisation in Papua New Guinea, will aid efforts to protect nests of the endangered Leatherback and Green sea turtles in the Karkum Conservation Area to help maximise hatchling production for these two species.  The collection of important nesting data, as well as general education and awareness is also an integral component.

 The Karkum Conservation area, situated some 60km north of the provincial capital of Madang, is an initiative of the Duargo Community Development Association (DCDA). The Makata, whose name means “Sea Guardian” in the local Bel or Takia languages of Madang, manages and supports the initiative. The Duargo community, comprising six villages with over 3000 people, decided to establish a conservation area covering their gray sand beaches to preserve the leather back turtle from extinction.

Mr Wenceslaus Magun, National Coordinator of the Makata, said they started the turtle conservation project in 2006 and, by 2009, had motivated communities to change their habitual killing of turtles and harvesting of turtle  eggs. 

SPREP's Marine Coastal Adviser Mr. Jeff Kinch meeting with Karkum Conservation Area

He explained that a turtle training workshop facilitated by one of SPREP’s former staff, Job Opu, had resulted in the DCDA forming beach rangers who are responsible for tagging turtles, recording data and protecting nests by deploying protective grids over the nests.  These protective grids are made from bamboo, which grows in clumps along the adjacent foreshore.

He added that the beach rangers were also well versed with turtle and wider-marine conservation issues and were able to articulate these through awareness campaigns to other coastal communities along the Madang coasts.

Commenting on SPREP’s assistance to the Makata, SPREP’s Marine Species Officer, Mr Lui Bell said, “Assistance from SPREP to the Makata is important to as it continues to support the Karkum community’s conservation efforts.”

Karkum Conservation Community

 SPREP will continue to support both Makata and the DCDA in any way possible, with further long term assistance being sought through linking Makata with potential donors.

Mr Bell said part of a Letter of Agreement which SPREP has with Makata includes submission of a report documenting recommendations on needs for the improvement of the community project.

Of the seven species of the world’s marine turtles, six occur in PNG marine waters. These include the Flatback, Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Loggerhead and Olive Ridley turtles. Of these six, the Hawksbill, Green and Leatherback turtles are most common.

From previous survey results and anecdotal information, PNG has some of the largest remaining populations of Hawksbill, Green and Leatherback turtles in the world today. However, these populations and especially the leatherback turtle have rapidly declined. 

Images of Karkum Conservation Area Courtesy of Stuart Chape

New Regional Plan to Conserve Pacific Wetlands

A new draft three-year action plan has been developed outlining activities, responsibilities and targets that seek to promote and strengthen the wise use and conservation of wetlands in the region.

The new Regional Wetlands Action Plan for the Pacific Islands follows on from the original Regional Wetlands Action Plan endorsed by members of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in 1999. The new action plan covers the period 2011-2013 and is expected to be finalised this month.

Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea: Photo by Aaron Jenkins

 The three-year action plan was developed during a regional workshop which was held in August in Noumea, New Caledonia to review the implementation of the 1999 Regional Wetlands Action Plan. It preceded a series of training sessions on implementation processes of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for contracting parties and accession procedures for non-contracting parties.

A total of 13 Pacific island countries and territories participated.

Group photo of participants

 The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international agreement that commits parties to the conservation and wise use of their wetlands. There are currently five Pacific island countries that are parties to this Convention - Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Tonga, Niue and Kiribati are expected to join very soon.

In the Pacific, wetlands are critical to the livelihood of families and communities. They have an immense value in providing fish and other foods, as well as supply a vast range of products such as building materials, handicrafts, medicines, cosmetics and ornamentation for Pacific peoples. For our region, the conservation and wise use of wetlands is also of global significance given that they contain among the largest variety of plants and animals in the world.

Plaines Des Lacs, New Caledonia: Photo by Vainuupo Jungblut

This important three year action plan to conserve our wetlands will be circulated widely once it is finalised and the implementation of this plan will be carried out through coordination between national governments, SPREP and its regional and international partners.

While the new three-year plan action plan was the key outcome of the workshop, there were also other benefits that arose from the gathering.

There was the sharing of experiences and exchange of information between participants on national issues, challenges and priorities relating to the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. There is also now a better understanding of the benefits and required steps for joining the Ramsar Convention, as well as a better understanding of implementation issues, processes and procedures for the contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Further to that the participants attending were also able to learn about conservation measures, lessons and initiatives in New Caledonia and could make new contacts with French experts working in this field.

NOTES
The event was made possible through the generous financial support from the Governments of France, Australia, United States and Norway, and was hosted by Government of New Caledonia and was co-organised by SPREP and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat.

The workshop was held at the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in Nouméa and engaged representatives from Pacific islands countries and territories that were Contracting Party, and non-Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention, i.e. Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna. In addition, there were representatives from regional organisations, Non Government Organisations and Universities.