Pacific supports moratorium on ocean fertilization at Nagoya biodiversity conference

The Pacific Voyage Media Team

21 October Nagoya Japan - Tuvalu on behalf of the Pacific Island parties is supporting a moratorium pertaining to ocean fertilization and other forms of geo-engineering activities to counteract the effects of climate change, at the ongoing biodiversity negotiations in Nagoya.

Geo-engineering is defined as an option that would involve large-scale engineering of the environment in order to combat or counteract the effects of changes in atmospheric chemistry

Tuvalu raised this point during an intervention in the climate change discussions at the 10^th Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity.

The Pacific Island region is not endorsing geo-engineering options because it remains largely unproven.

One of the options among others is Ocean fertilization to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

 Mr. Solomona Lotoala of Tuvalu spoke on behalf of the Pacific island parties –

“Unfortunately for our Pacific Island countries both climate change and biodiversity are integral recognized as parts of our daily lives. One represents an opportunity and supports our daily lives the other is imposed on our daily lives through global processes beyond our control and threatens our survival. As such it is an honor indeed for Tuvalu to speak on behalf of Pacific Island countries on climate change and biodiversity as this is directly an issue of concern for Tuvalu.” 

The Small Islands State is one of the Pacific nations vulnerable to climate change.  It has been established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the small island states are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change.

“Madam Chair, the biodiversity of our islands is the most threatened by climate change in the world.  Island genetic stocks are small and valuable – urgent attention needs to be placed on how to sustain these resources.  Pacific Small Island Developing States recognize the need for support for capacity building to assist Pacific SIDS in identifying, assessing and monitoring impacts of climate change,” he says.

The battle however cannot be fought by Tuvalu and the other small island nations alone, it will need financial and technical support from developed nations to bring about effective adaptation and mitigation actions that address the linkages between biodiversity and Climate Change.

“The Pacific small island nations wish to emphasize that all Pacific Island Countries are taking action to protect and manage our biodiversity and take measures through eco-system based adaptation to adapt to climate change and sea level rise. This includes coral reef, mangrove and terrestrial systems management,” he says.

For the full intervention please read as below -  

PACIFIC ISLAND PARTIES INTERVENTION STATEMENT

Government of TUVALU

Thank you Madam Chair

This is the first time for Tuvalu to take the floor therefore I would like to thank you Madam Chair for the opportunity.

Tuvalu wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to the government of Japan, the people of Nagoya for hosting us well in this 10^th Conference of the Parties. Thank you for your extraordinary hospitality and warm welcome.

This statement is on behalf of the 14 Pacific Island Countries represented here.

Madam Chair, if I recall the theme of this year’s International Year of Biodiversity – Biodiversity is life – Biodiversity is OUR life. Today Madam Chair, unfortunately for our Pacific Island countries both climate change and biodiversity are integral recognized as parts of OUR daily lives. One represents an opportunity and supports our daily lives, the other is imposed on OUR daily lives through global processes beyond our control and threatens our survival. As such it is an honor indeed for Tuvalu to speak on behalf of PICs on CC & BD as this is directly an issue of concern for Tuvalu. 

In Tuvalu, our islands biodiversity provides a wealth of food, other natural products, and is the foundation for our traditional and cultural practices. Madam chair, we at this point in the discussions want to stress the fact that Tuvalu is gravely concerned about climate change given our imminent disappearance under water should global warming continue at its present rate.

Madam Chair, in view of the foregoing, the Pacific SIDS wish to emphasize that all Pacific Island Countries are taking action to protect and manage our biodiversity and take measures through eco-system based adaptation to adapt to climate change and sea level rise. This includes coral reef, mangrove and terrestrial systems management. We look to our partners for financial and technical support to continue these efforts to develop effective adaptation and mitigation actions that address the linkages between biodiversity and Climate Change.

Madam Chair, the biodiversity of our islands are the most threatened by climate change in the world. Island genetic stocks are small and valuable –urgent attention needs to be placed on how to sustain these resources. Pacific SIDS recognize the need for support for capacity building to assist Pacific SIDS in identifying, assessing and monitoring impacts of climate change.

Madam Chair, on behalf of the Pacific SIDS I want to draw the attention of the delegates to the Recommendations of the SBSTTA Draft Decision (UNEP/CBD/COP/10/3) that allows us to move forward in our discussions.  Keeping in line with the Recommendations, Madam Chair, allow me to share several of the Pacific views on these agenda item.

Paragraphs 3-6 relating to finance including reference to the GEF and the Life Web Initiative – the Pacific Island Parties support the removal of the brackets (around para 4) – as a starting point.

·    Paragraph 8q referring to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and considering land ownership and land tenure, respecting, preserving and maintaining the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Pacific Islands Parties support the removal of the brackets and wish to lend our strong support to the importance of maintaining the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities.

·    Paragraph 8w relating to the exclusion of ocean fertilization and other forms of geo-engineering activities until there is an adequate scientific basis. The Pacific Island parties support the removal of this bracket as geo-engineering activities aimed at addressing climate change are unproven and have the potential to have a serious negative impact on marine biological diversity.

·    The two options contained in paragraph 9 relating to monitoring biodiversity impacts of REDD activities (paragraph 9g) both have merits. The Pacific Island Parties support combining of these two options and suggested wording will be submitted for consideration.

·     With regards to the proposed Joint Work Programme the Pacific Island parties will submit its comments to the Secretariat later.

Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity and I would like to extend our sincere thanks to our parties and invite you all to come and join us at our Pacific Voyage Booth # 7 – next to the BIG BIRD.

Thank you Madam Chair

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.

Pacific raises voice at negotiations on marine and coastal biodiversity

19 October Nagoya Japan - The Pacific entered negotiations at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity today by raising points at the discussion on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity.

The Fiji Islands Ambassador to Japan, H.E Ambassador Isikeli Mataitoga, head of the Fiji Islands delegation read the intervention on behalf of the Pacific region, which called for three main points.

The Pacific would like to see the final outcome of the CBD COP 10 in Nagoya acknowledge that marine and coastal biodiversity is impacted upon by climate change.  If this is made official in the final statement, it will help strengthen support in addressing marine and coastal biodiversity.

“Madam chair, climate change continues to be the most serious threat to our ocean and our island biodiversity,” read H.E Ambassador Mataitoga on behalf of the Pacific island countries.

“We also recognize the adverse impacts on our marine and coastal ecosystems and we note that ocean fertilisation and acidification are emerging and important issues for the Pacific to consider in national and regional development plans."

To address this, Fiji called for the development of a joint expert workshop on oceans and climate change with a view of promoting better understanding of issues of common interest to the CBD and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Another key point raised by the Pacific to be adopted by the CBD COP 10 is that which expedites the process of designating Marine Protected Areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction.  However, the Ambassador noted that large information gaps continue to be a challenge.

"The vulnerable marine ecosystems both inside and outside our EEZs are vast and their biodiversity largely unknown – it is imperative therefore that we continue to be guided by the wisdom of the precautionary principle.”

To this end, Fiji supported the proposal by Thailand to emphasize that the main role of the CBD with regards to the development of high seas protected areas is to provide scientific and technical guidance on the identification of ecologically or biologically significant areas outside of national jurisdiction.

Eleni Tokaduadua, of the National Environment Department of Fiji explained that clarification needs to be made as to the roles of the CBD and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea if the Pacific island countries would like their high seas protected beyond their national jurisdiction.

“Not only that but we would like participation of CBD as well because we feel that the technical expertise and the scientific assessment is the work of the CBD but in terms of area coverage that is work of the UNCLOS so these two really need to work together.”

Lastly, Ambassador Mataitoga also called for financial support for capacity building in small island developing states and developing countries to enable the identification of priority high seas areas for protection and management.

To read the full intervention made by Fiji on behalf of the Pacific, please read below

Intervention at the COP10 on Item 5.2 – Marine and Coastal Biodiversity:

Thank you madam chair and congratulations for your appointment to the chair of this important working group.

Fiji on behalf of the Pacific Island Countries reaffirms the importance of marine and coastal ecosystems to our Pacific communities and our livelihoods.

This agenda item is vitally important to island states throughout the world as it contains a number of very important and long-term proposals for action that need to be carefully considered for the benefit and future of islands and their related ecosystems.

We particularly wish to share some of the bold moves in the Pacific for example, the 408,000 km2 Phoenix Island Protected Area established by Kiribati which was recently inscribed on the World Heritage List. The country of Kiribati, - one of the smallest countries of the world - has created one of the largest marine protected areas in the world.  In order to sustain these types of efforts in our Pacific Ocean to meet the 2012 marine protected area targets -  long-term global support will be needed.

For large ocean states in the Pacific, these discussions are critical. The diversity of life, subsistence and commercial fisheries, and cultures are dependent upon healthy ecosystems and the livelihoods these systems provide.   Madam chair, climate change continues to be the most serious threat to our ocean and our island biodiversity.

We also recognize the adverse impacts on our marine and coastal ecosystems and we note that ocean fertilisation and acidification are emerging and important issues for the Pacific to consider in national and regional development plans. In addition, large information gaps continue to be a challenge. The vulnerable marine ecosystems both inside and outside our EEZs are vast and their biodiversity largely unknown – it is imperative therefore that we continue to be guided by the wisdom of the precautionary principle.

All of these issues are critical to the long-term future of our islands and need urgent attention.

In relation to specific matters: 

• On the relationship between climate change and biodiversity (paragraph 8),  we support Thailand in supporting Option 3 of the text – thus the removal of the brackets.
• We request the removal of brackets in paragraph 15 to allow targets to be aligned to the revised Strategic plan of CBD and NBSAPs concurrently

• In relation to paragraph 19, we support Thailand on the following text modification:

19. Reiterating  the key role of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in facilitation of designation of marine protected areas  beyond national jurisdiction, emphasizes that it is important that the process of identification of CBD’s ecologically or biologically significant marine (EBSAs) is understood to be a scientific and technical step different from the process used to decide on the policy and management responses that are appropriate for providing the desired level of protection to those areas.

• We additionally propose to remove the bracketed text in paragraph  24 to expedite the process of designating MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction and in paragraph 32 to request financial support for capacity building in SIDS and developing countries.

• Lastly, we support Indonesia’s proposal to add text on effective management on marine and coastal areas within national jurisdiction.

I thank you madam chair.

Small Islands Developing States share a voice at the Nagoya Biodiversity conference

Pacific Voyage Media Team

19 October Nagoya, Japan - The Small Island Developing States which are vulnerable to environmental degradation, climate change and overexploitation of natural resources are making their voice known here in Nagoya at the Convention for the Biological Diversity 10th Conference of the Parties (CBD COP10) in Nagoya.

Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean and other Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), Dr Spencer Thomas, Economic and Policy Advisor in Grenada’s Ministry of Finance says SIDS “are the most vulnerable of all countries.

Thomas stated that because of the lack of economic capabilities and capacity building, the group, though small wants their presence known and have a strong and active participation in the global negotiation process.

L - R Joe Aitaro Palau, Dr Spencer Thomas at SIDS briefing

SIDS, Thomas said needs assistance from developed nations to strengthen its national and regional capabilities in terms of financing, capacity building and technology.

“We need to make known SIDS vulnerability and how critical biodiversity loss to the states’ livelihood,” Thomas says.

 Many of the small island states face similar problems with respect to the conservation and management of their natural resources.

The biological diversity and the high degree of endemism of many species on Small Island developing States is well known. Over 4,000 species of plants and animals are endemic to Small Island Developing States.

Because of their small size and the endemic nature of many species, the biological diversity of Small Island Developing States is extremely fragile

The focus of SIDS is on; deforestation and forest degradation,  traditional subsistence farming systems,  in situ and ex situ conservation facilities, coastal and marine biodiversity, freshwater biodiversity, and  aquaculture.

Thomas is hopeful that by the end of the convention there is an agreement on the halt of biodiversity losses on the targeted year of 2020.