FSM seeks capacity building opportunities at Nagoya talks

The Pacific Voyage Media Team, 25 October 2010 Nagoya Japan

L - R - FSM delegation Willie Kostka, with Bernadette Carreon, Cytha Ehmes and Ricky Karl

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) depend on their natural resources, making their attendance at the 10^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10) essential.

FSM comprises the four states – Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae and contains over 1,000 plant species for which at least 200 are endemic species.  Its coral reefs, estimated at 14, 517km2 are home to nearly 1,000 species of fish and over 350 hard species of coral.

“While the nation may not have specific issues here at the Nagoya talks,” said FSM’s Ricky Carl, “it is working with aligning itself with organizations that will be of assistance in Capacity building.”

It is important for FSM to work towards achieving the goals of the Micronesian Challenge , an initiative  to effectively conserve at least 30% of their nearshore marine resources and 20% of their terrestrial resources by 2020.

Although each state is unique in making sure the initiative targets are met, it is well on its way of meeting 10 percent of its terrestrial targets and 15 percent marine targets.

He notes that FSM is well known for conserving protected areas but this effort is due to the customary laws and traditions to sustain biodiversity.

The issues of protected areas are also linked with invasive species and climate change which affect the small island nations such as FSM.

“We are learning that in order to protect and manage protected areas we have to deal with the invasive species issues and climate change,” Karl states.

Karl emphasizes that FSM also needs to do its part of ensuring that it complies with the CBD targets that focus on marine protected areas.

“Most of the community depends on the marine areas for livelihood and food,” he says.

As a small island nation, it too suffers from lack of financial and capacity resources to sustain its biodiversity programs making it essential to partner up with other Pacific island nations and organizations that will make their voice known.

West Indian Ocean Partnership - learning from the Micronesia Challenge

The Pacific Voyage Media Team

L-R: Seychelles Ambassador to the UN Ronald Jumeau, Joe Aitaro Palau

25 October Nagoya Japan - Nations comprising of the Western Indian Ocean are inspired by the small island countries’ Micronesian Challenge initiative which seeks to effectively conserve 30 percent of near shores resources and 20 percent of terrestrial resources by 2020.

Signed by the leaders of the Marianas, Guam, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia Challenge seeks to Effectively Conserve 30% of Near Shore Resources and 20% of Terrestrial Resources by 2020.

Micronesia Challenge was first launched by 2006 by Palau which was immediately supported by the other nations and that the movement has served as an inspiration for Caribbean countries to launch a similar challenge.

Seychelles’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations HE Ambassador Ronald Jumeau during a side event says that the Micronesia Challenge is an initiative that served as an inspiration that the nations are adopting.

He states that the Western Indian Ocean nations are taking lessons from the Micronesian countries as to - “where we ought to go.”

 In 2005 then Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr.  committed his nation to preserving 30 percent of their near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of their terrestrial resources by 2020.

The initiative was then launched in 2006 and supported by the rest of the Micronesia region that agreed to match the same commitment Palau made.

Joe Aitaro, Palau’s Protected Areas Network coordinater was one of the speakers during the side event with representatives from the Western Indian Ocean countries in attendance.

‘What they wanted to hear from us was the arrangement of the initiative and what the benefits are,” Aitaro says.

He explains that one of the major points that need to be learned from the initiative is that it is a long term commitment.  Aitaro says the effort has been successful due to the head of states commitment of seeing it through.

“The leaders might have changed but the commitment is still there,” Aitaro notes.

He says that the current leaders in the Micronesian region are continually meeting to ensure its success.

Each of the five jurisdictions in the Micronesia has endorsed the Micronesia Conservation Trust as a regional finance tool to ensure that the Challenge remains sustainable.

The Micronesia Challenge represents more than 5 percent of the Pacific Ocean and 61 percent of the world’s coral species. It includes 66 threatened species, more than 1,300 species of reef fish, 85 species of birds and 1,400 species of plants — 200 of which are found only in Micronesia.

The five jurisdictions are well on their way in achieving the commitments.

Palau Green fee hits the 1 million mark in less than a year

Tourists holidaying in Palau since November last year have helped raise over a million dollars for the protected areas of the territory. Palau now has 1.3 million USD from a Green fee tax that began on 1 November 2009, all of which will help conservation efforts in Palau.

There are 23 conservation sites to preserve the marine and land based environment of Palau under their protected areas network, which encompass the catchphrase for the Pacific territories’ tourism catchphrase – “Experience the Wonders.” It’s a fitting slogan as the visitors and tourists to Palau now play a role in helping the preservation of the pristine environment.

Marine Protected Area, Chelbacheb, Palau
Photo by Stuart Chape

The Green Fee is part of the 35 USD departure tax for non-Palauan passport holders to pay when leaving the territory. Of this amount 15 USD is the Green Fee that is paid into a national account managed by the Protected Area Network Fund (PANF) board of directors. Community conservation groups are now submitting applications for the 1.3 million USD which has been raised in a nine month period.

Palau has approximately 1,269 species and varieties of plants in Palau, of which 830 species are native. It has 141 species of birds of which 20 different types are endemic and it has 40 species of freshwater fish of which four are endemic.

The territory is a member of the Micronesia Challenge which is a commitment by the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam and the Northern Marians to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia, by 2020.

6.7 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean is covered by the Micronesia Challenge which represents more than 20% of the Pacific islands region. 1,300 species of fish live in the waters of Micronesia along with 60% of all known corals. On land, Micronesia combined has 85 species of birds, half of them are endemic and 1,400 species of birds for which 200 different types are endemic.’

“We have 1.3 million in a fund, which has come from the Green fee alone. Then we have the endowment which is what we have raised to make the Micronesia Challenge happen. When you combine those two figures together we have close to two million dollars,” said Joe Aitaro, the Protected Area Network Coordinator of Palau. 

“It took us almost four years to work with the community and the people, and then we had to work with our government to put this Green fee into effect and raise support for it. Now it’s done and showing good results, I am pleased! It was worth it!”

Palauan communities play a leading role in carrying out the conservation efforts for the protected areas however there are costs. The green fee came about as a solution for ongoing financing to help apply the necessary activities to keep the protected areas in the Palau network going.

Communities are to submit management plans as part of their funding application for the Board of directors to review before awarding amounts for conservation community efforts. During the planning stages it was ensured the funds would be available three months after green fee collection began. To date there are now applications before the board for six of the community conservation areas.

“I’m very happy to see that all the stakeholders have agreed to make concessions to ensure that not only will the future generations benefit from this scheme but the rest of the global community,” said Aitaro. “It’s a true testament that islanders do live in harmony with its limited resources.’”

The board is made up of two representatives from the international community that are The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, the Palau Minster of Natural Resource Environment and Tourism, Minister of Finance as well as five other members.

The regulations that govern the board are specific in that the number of government representatives should not outnumber the other members of the board, and the Minister Representatives are not able to vote as they are ex-officio members.

The Board of Directors are advised by a technical committee, their role is to review the management plan submitted by the community and provide advice to the Board about applications. The technical committee will assess the management plan and whether the community conservation group has the right personnel to carry out the activities. If the capacity is not available, the technical committee will advice other options to help this area and advise projects such as workshops or training.

"We want to make sure that the activities can be implemented properly before awarding the funds because at the end of the day we are accountable to the people who pay the 15 dollars.”

It’s the visitors to Palau over the past nine months to “Experience the Wonder” that have helped the territory succeed in their green fee initiative. If birds could talk, the 141 species in Palau would say thank you.

For more information on the Green Fee and the Protected Areas Network Fund please contact joe Aitaro at jaitaro@gmail.com