Our Pacific, Our Future: Pacific Island Leaders discuss what’s next after World Parks Congress

L - R Prime Minister Henry Puna of the Cook Islands, President Tommy Remengesau Jnr of Palau,
President Anote Tong of Kiribati

14 November 2014, Sydney, Australia -  Regional solidarity, committed international partnerships, education and the need to look beyond the perceived barriers to successful conservation, were at the forefront of an informal dialogue between Pacific island leaders at the World Parks Congress in Sydney today.

The Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Mr Henry Puna; President of Palau, Mr Tommy Remengesau Jr; and President of Kiribati, Mr Anote Tong, highlighted these issues in the context of effective leadership for ocean conservation and protection of Pacific island fisheries.

The informal talanoa (talk) session, co-hosted by the IUCN Oceania Regional Office and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), aimed to encourage open conversation and sharing of leaders' perspectives on conservation. All three leaders are well respected for their commitments to protected areas and sustainable resource use. The country leaders shared inspirational stories on how they had been driven to make their conservation commitments and decisions and what this means for the future of their island nations.

President Remengesau, who is a recent recipient of the Champions of the Earth award from the United Nations' Environment Programme (UNEP), explained his country's decision to restrict commercial fisheries in its entire 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. He outlined food security, equitable resource sharing and the obvious need to address the depletion of ocean resources as Palau's main reasons for this decision. The President noted that currently only six percent of the region's six billion dollar fishing industry actually makes its way back to the region, and added that Palau also relies greatly on tourism for its economic security.

He added that protected areas provide a safe haven where marine life can thrive and reproduce. The benefits from this "rest area" or safe haven have spill-on effects to the non-protected areas of the ocean. Mr Remengesau noted that recent research suggested that setting aside one-third of an area for conservation had positive effects on the rest of the area.

President Tong noted that the Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA), an area of 408,250 square kilometres, is a major spawning ground, which will contribute to the long term sustainability of the country's ocean resources. He shared his own perspective on the challenges of bringing climate change issues and the needs of small islands to the international arena. He noted with great satisfaction the recent accords between the United States and China over greenhouse gas emissions, calling it a milestone in the negotiations with clear ramifications for the upcoming UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Paris. He reiterated the fact that advocacy on climate change should continue.

Prime Minister Henry Puna said that while his country depends more on tourism economically than fisheries, there is a need for Pacific solidarity. The government had further responded to the calls of its people to establish a marine protected area as part of efforts to ensure better management of ocean resources. The Cook Islands Marine Park spans over 1,065 million square kilometres – an area more than twice the size of Papua New Guinea.

On the theme of solidarity, the Prime Minister spoke on the "Polynesia Promise" - an initiative to be presented to the Polynesian Pacific Leaders to build synergies around marine protected areas in Polynesia extending from Aotearoa New Zealand to Hawaii. This has potential to be the most significant partnership on protected areas and will build on recent initiatives around conservation.

Overcoming barriers to effective management of these protected areas will be the major challenge for all the leaders as they strive to meet their conservation goals. The call for significant and lasting partnerships was a resounding theme throughout the discussions and resonated with the call for a particular focus on passing on the message to the children and young adults. Great support from the three heads of State was given for the vakas and their young crew to be champions of this message.

It is expected that these discussions will feed into the Sydney Promise declaration document, a draft of which is available on the World Parks Congress website.

For more information, contact: 
SPREP - Seema Deo seemad@sprep.org ph: 61 4511 09052
IUCN - Fei Tevi Feiloakitau.Tevi@iucn.org    ph: 61 4504 39490

194 governments unite to save global biodiversity

6 October 2014, Pyeongchang Korea, CBDCOP12 - Traditional Korean drums set an exciting pace this morning at the opening of the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the fast pace symbolic of the urgent need to save global biodiversity. 

The World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Report 2014 found that global wildlife populations have declined on average by 52% in the 40 year period since 1970. 

Over the next two weeks thousands of representatives of governments, non-governmental organisations, indigenous peoples, scientists and the private sector are gathered to accelerate the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 - 2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets which are to be achieved by the end of 2020.

All of which contribute to halting biodiversity loss across the planet.

The collection of decisions to be taken at the CBD COP 12 is referred to as the Pyeongchang Road Map and is anticipated to include a resource mobilisation strategy expected to significantly increase the resources available for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.

"There has been increased financial investment and policy action to protect biodiversity, yet, studies show that it will be difficult to reach the full set of the Aichi targets if we remain within the current trajectory, due to accumulated and increased pressures on the natural world," said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner at the opening of the CBD COP 12.

"We need to do more, and do it fast, to protect the very fabric of the natural world."

At the opening today the Presidency of the Conference of the Parties was handed over from the Government of India to the Government of Korea.  The last Conference of the Parties to the CBD was hosted in Hyderabad, India in 2012.

The CBD COP 12 is from 6 to17 October in Pyeongchang, Korea.  14 Pacific island countries are party to the Convention on Biological Diversity with Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu currently in Korea attending the CBD COP12.  Soon to arrive are the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

To read the full CBD Secretariat press release on today's opening event please visit:  http://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2014/pr-2014-10-06-cop-12-en.pdf

UN meeting agrees on decisions to advance the implementation of the International Agreement on the safe use of living modified organisms

Pacific delegates attending the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety to the CBD,
L - R Kiribati, Palau, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Fiji.

CBD Press Release

Pyeongchang/Montreal 3 October 2014. Governments attending a United Nations meeting on the safe use of living modified organisms have agreed on various actions to advance the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity as a global tool contributing to the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMO) that may have negative effects on biodiversity.

Among the most significant outcomes was a decision inviting governments and other stakeholders to use the Guidance on Risk Assessment of Living Modified Organisms developed by an expert group that was established by governing body of the Protocol in actual cases of risk assessment and as a tool for capacity-building activities in risk assessment. A mechanism for revising and improving the Guidance was also agreed with a view to having an improved version of the Guidance by the eight meeting of the Parties in 2016.

The Parties also agreed to continue to identify living modified organisms intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing that are subject to transboundary movement, by incorporating the information identified in decision BS-III/10 into existing documentation  accompanying living modified organisms.

Socioeconomic considerations were discussed extensively and a decision to re-convene a group of experts to further develop clarity on this issue and to develop an outline for guidance on this subject was adopted.

In a decision on improving the efficiency of structures and processes under the Convention and its Protocols, Parties agreed to hold subsequent meetings of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol concurrently with the other meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols, and also agreed that any Subsidiary body on Implementation established by the Convention should also serve the Protocol.

Parties also called upon countries that had not yet done so to ratify the Nagoya Kuala-Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress, and called upon the Executive Secretary to produce materials that would expedite its entry into force.

Pacific delegates attending the Cartegena Protocol to the CBD, L - R Mr. Joe Horokou (Solomons),
Mr. Puta Tofinga (Kiribati),  Ms. 'Eleni Tokaduadua (Fiji), Ms. Lupe Matoto (Tonga), Mr. Rahul Chand (Fiji)
and Mr. Fred Sengebau (Palau) 

Other decisions were reached on, inter alia, the Biosafety Clearinghouse, compliance, the financial mechanism and resources, monitoring and reporting, contained use of Living Modified Organisms and assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol and the Protocol budget for the 2015 – 2016 biennium.

The meeting was closed by Mr. Lee In Ho, of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Government of the Republic of Korea, and Acting President of COPMOP7. 

He said: “All efforts made by the delegates over the past 5 days will pave the way for the effective implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and the Korean government will spare no effort for the development of the Protocol as the hosting country. In particular, the Republic of Korea has created the “Korea Biosafety Capacity Building Initiative” for the implementation of the Protocol and capacity building, and the initiative has been adopted by the agreement of the Parties. I am looking forward to the cooperation between Korea and all Parties for the achievement of the initiative.”

Braulio Dias, United Nations Assistant-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said of the meeting: “I congratulate the Parties on their hard work, and their spirit of compromise that they demonstrated this week. Their work has advanced the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol, and in so doing, not only ensures  biosafety, but also contributes to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its important role in the global agenda for sustainable development.”

The meeting was the first of a series of three meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. The 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity opens on Monday 6 October 2014.

Notes: 

1. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Its objective is to contribute to ensuring the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms that may have adverse effects on conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. 

2. The Protocol was adopted on 29 January 2000 in Montreal, Canada and entered into force on 11 September 2003. To date, 167 countries and the European Union have ratified or acceded to it. 

3. The Protocol is named after the Colombian city of Cartagena where the final round of its negotiations was launched.

Pacific interest in the Nagoya Protocol

10 October 2012, CBD COP 11, Hyderabad India - Three Pacific island countries, Fiji, FSM and Palau, have signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, with Fiji, the fourth country in the process of acceding to the Protocol.

The Federated States of Micronesia announced their agreement to ratify the protocol at the 11^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India. 

“The Federated States of Micronesia is thrilled to join its fellow small islands developing state colleague Seychelles in ratifying the Nagoya Protocol.  My delegation is pleased to report to this distinguished body that as of October 1^st, 2012 our National Congress adopted a resolution to ratify the Nagoya Protocol and looks forward to depositing our instrument of ratification,” presented by Mae Bruton-Adams as the FSM Delegation.

Palau and Vanuatu join FSM in signing the Protocol, but are yet to ratify it.  Fiji is not a signatory but will become a party through acceding to the Protocol.

The Protocol addresses one of the CBD’s three objectives – the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.  It is designed to give developing nations a fairer share on profits made by companies, such as pharmaceutical and cosmetics firms, from their genetic resources.

Prostratin is a compound found in the bark of the mamala tree of Samoa, Homalanthus nutans.  Research has indicated that prostratin has potential to be useful in the treatment of HIV.  The development of compounds called Calanolides, derived from the latex of a tree, Calophyllum species, found in the Malaysian rainforest, as a potential treatment for HIV and certain types of cancer.

Benefits derived from genetic resources may include the result of research and development carried out on those genetic materials, the transfer of technologies which make use of that research, or monetary benefits arising from the commercialisation of products based on those genetic resources.

The protocol recognises that indigenous knowledge should be protected and communities that possess it must be adequately compensated if that knowledge is used for commercial gain.

Alissa Takesy, FSM

“Our work will mean that all four states plus the national government are united when it comes to the implementation on the Nagoya Protocol with respect to regulating research and the possibility of users accessing our genetic resources,” said Alissa Takesy of the Federated States of Micronesia. 

“We need to fully comprehend their intentions and come to a common understanding on what our genetic resources are utilised for and if they are going to commercialise it, we’d like a process capturing the benefits being reciprocated back to the local communities”

The Nagoya Protocol was adopted on 29 October, 2010 in Japan after six years of negotiations. For more information on the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Voices of the Pacific@Ramsar COP11

Talie Foliga on Left

13 July 2012, Bucharest, Romania - 

Mr. Talie Foliga, Samoa

What have you learnt at this COP?

“The diversity of the issues, the diversity of thought from each region regarding the deliberations on several draft resolutions which were put forward for the COP to discuss so it is very interesting to hear what other parties have said especially the DR1. (Draft Resolution 1 – Institutional hosting of the Ramsar Secretariat)”

What advice do you have for others attending the next COP?

“I think my only advice is whoever is being appointed to attend the COP I think that there is a need to really look into the issues especially the issues that are related to our region and also to our respective boundaries, so when you come to the issues of discussion in the plenary then you are well prepared for what is going to be discussed and understand the process of the plenary.”

Ms. Nunia Thomas (Left) - image courtesy of QuartzFilm.Ro

Ms. Nunia Thomas, Fiji

What have you learnt at this COP?

“I learnt that there is a lot of tools available through the Ramsar Secretariat on how we can implement the Ramsar Convention, particularly in capacity building – we attended a talk on capacity building where people can talk about capacity building issues they had and Ramsar can think of ways to help come up with ways to address these.

A lot of other countries are facing the same problems as the Pacific in terms of implementing and aligning the convention with legislation and the other conventions to which they are signatories.  There is a challenge for everyone to align their conventions like with the Convention on Biological Diversity but I think everyone is moving forward to make it happen.”

What advice do you have for others attending a Ramsar COP?

“Prepare your documents well, read through the draft resolutions, get it nationally consulted, nation- wide consultation with the Department of Environment and other relevant ministries, in Fiji we have the Office of the Solicitor General, so it looked at by the lawyers because when you are talking at this level you are legally committing your nation, your country, its good if people back home are aware of what you are committing to at the Convention.”

Ms. Pua Michael, Palau

Ms. Pua Michael, Palau

What have you learnt at this COP?

“This is my first Conference of the Parties ever for any convention so it was a very big eye opener for me from the rules and procedures to everything - it was a big eye opener.  Another thing I learnt is there is help out there you just have to be willing to look for it and I think if for Palau’s case if you be a little bit more ambitious and look for the help I think we can find it to come back to our place and do implementation on the ground.”

What advice do you have for others attending the next COP?

“You need to read all the documents and the draft resolutions to give yourself the background to come to the meeting and also make sure that whatever decision you make is in line with the people back home.”

Ms. Olai Uludong, Marshall Islands

Ms. Olai Uludong, Marshall Islands

What have you learnt at this COP?

“That the Pacific delegates really need a guide on how to negotiate text that is appropriate to their county because you can get lost among all the draft resolutions, at this COP there are 22 draft resolutions and unless we know about them then we don’t say anything.”

What advice do you have for others attending the next COP?

“Read the rules of procedures first and then read all the Draft Resolutions before the opening plenary and remember what you’re country positions are and also what the other conventions have decided.”

Ms. Nicola Scott, New Zealand

Ms. Nicola Scott, New Zealand

What advice do you have for others attending the next COP?

“It depends on your delegation but preparation is everything if you are a small delegation you need to identify your key issues and to be actually well briefed on those to know what you want out of the agenda item and what would be your ultimate target, or what you can live with.  That way you are actually well prepared to engage effectively on the floor and also to know what your colleagues in the region want out of the meeting.

Working the room – it is really important that you get out and talk to people and find out what they think and what their positions are and where you can work together constructively, when people work together as a block, it’s really a powerful tool because then you cover more ground with smaller delegations.”

The Micronesia Challenge showcased in Romania

12 July 2012, Bucharest, Romania - The Micronesia Challenge was featured at the 11^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Wetlands in Romania.  

An Oceania side event showcased the Challenge which was signed in 2006.  It commits the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Marianas and Palau to effectively conserve 30% near-shore marine resources and 20% terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020. 

“Known more on a regional level than it is on a national level so it is a challenge to get the local communities to know more about the challenge,” said Pua Michael, the Ramsar National Focal Point of Palau.

“We need to do more work to promote the Micronesia Challenge within our own countries and communities.”

So successful has the awareness work been on a regional and international level that it has catalyzed efforts such as the Caribbean Challenge and the Coral Triangle.  It has also drawn huge interest from donors and partners.

As part of this commitment each island nation is responsible for raising funds to help bring this challenge into fruition, known as the Micronesia Challenge Endowment Fund.  FSM has since raised 2.2 million dollars, the Marshall Islands has raised 2.3 million dollars and Palau has raised 6.1 million dollars. 

To date over USD 27 million has also been raised through different opportunities and partners such as the LifeWeb, The Packard Foundation, Global Environment Facility and the Nature Conservation and Conservation International. 

Ms. Pua Micheal, presenting on the Micronesia Challenge

“While awareness of the Micronesia Challenge may not be so strong in Palau, communities do understand the importance of nature conservation, it’s our way of life in Palau.  We’re already working to save our wetlands and terrestrial areas at the national level - this has been ingrained into us as part of the Palauan culture.” 

Palau has a Protected Area Network which was put into place before the Micronesia Challenge this is a number of Protected Areas throughout Palau which are eligible for funds under the Green Fee if there is a management plan in place.   These Protected Areas are managed by the local community of Palau and the efforts will go towards achieving Palau’s commitment to the Micronesia Challenge.

The next steps will see Palau carry out their marine monitoring protocol which measures how effective the Marine Protected areas are managed.  Preparations are still underway to finalise the Terrestrial monitoring protocol in Palau.

Palau is a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands along with Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.  The 11^th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is held in Romania, 6 – 13 July.

Palau seeks financial support at Ramsar COP11 on Wetlands

Ngardok Nature Reserve, Palau

7 July 2012, Bucharest, Romania – Sustainable financing is a key issue for Palau, attending the 11^th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Palau became the first island in Micronesia to join the Convention with the Ngardok Nature Reserve as the first designated Ramsar wetland site of importance.  Lake Ngardok is the largest natural lake in Micronesia.  The traditional leaders of Melekeok established the Ngardok Nature Reserve to protect the watershed from degradation, the special qualities of the lake and integrity of the forests above the lake are critical to preserving the water quality.

The Ngardok watershed culminates approximately 1,000 acres of land above Lake Ngardok.  Rain that falls in the area above Lake Ngardok, either evaporates from the forests and percolates into the groundwater or makes its way to the lake which then drains into the Ngerdorch River, a water source for the villages of Melekeok and Ngchesar.

By attending the Ramsar COP 11, it is hoped that the Ngardok Nature Reserve will come closer to seeking sustainable financing solutions for management.

Pua Michael, the delegate from Palau attending Ramsar COP11

“We are struggling to seek support to take care of Lake Ngardok, right now people pay USD5.00 to visit the site but it’s not enough,” said Pua Micheal, the National Ramsar Focal Point of Palau.

“While Palau has started the Green Fee, it is fairly new and we’ll apply for this fund once all the right mechanisms are in place that will allow us to access the funding.”

The Lake Ngardok Nature Reserve is home to at least 11 indigenous bird species including the national bird, the Palau Fruit Dover or bib (Ptilinopus pelewensis).  The lake and marshes surrounding the lake are home to the endangered crocodile, the (ius).  This is an important breeding area for the saltwater crocodiles, (Crocodylus porosus).  The Ngerdorch River is a travel route for the ius from the lake to the sea.

Oceania Preparatory Meeting for Ramsar COP11, March, 2012

Palau was the venue for the preparatory meeting of the Oceania region to the Ramsar COP 11, an event which helped provide Palau with lessons learnt as they aim to finalise management plans and procedures in order to apply for funding under the Palau green fee.

“The preparatory meeting really helped opened our eyes as to different things that we can try and the importance of this convention for us as we strive to strengthen the Lake Ngardok Nature Reserve.”

The Ramsar COP is held in Romania from 6 – 13 July, there are  seven members of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) that are parties to Ramsar: Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.  A number of other SPREP members are in the process of joining including Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu.

For more information on the Ramsar COP 11 please visit:  http://www.ramsar.ro/

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.

5 Minutes with Palau...

19 October 2011, Changwon Korea - Ms. Madelsar Ngraingas is the Sustainable Land Management Project Coordinator of the Office of PALARIS - Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce.  She is the sole delegate representing Palau at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

L - R Ms. Madelsar Ngraingas Palau, Ms. Cindy Ehmes FSM

 

Q. What has been the main issue for Palau at this 10th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification?

The harmonisation of requirements and sufficient distribution of resources across the 3 Rio conventions (UNCCD, Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention of the Framework of Climate Change) is of great interest to us in Palau.  Another thing is to find out how we can move our current national land management priorities forward with the assistance of the UNCCD 10 year strategy.  

For Palau, one of our key priorities is land use planning to avoid primarily the large sedimentation, soil erosion, coastal erosion that we are experiencing in the country. We are also interested in looking at the impacts of sea level rise and changing ocean temperatures as well as salt water intrusion in agricultural areas.  What we would like to be able to do is make sure that the UNCCD ten year strategic plan is aligned with our national activities to maximise on the support offered by the convention as well as avoid unnecessary duplication.

Why is it important for Palau to be at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD?

I am new to this convention, this is my first time, but I think the advantage of being a party to the UNCCD is that in this international setting, we can provide another perspective of some of the key issues faced by the Pacific.  

Palau, for example, is concerned with and driven by sustainable development, that is, a balance between economic growth and effective management of our natural resources.  Being here at this meeting and being a party to the UNCCD, which focuses on desertification, land degradation and drought, allows us to highlight our key issues in a global context, helping to ensure that adequate support and attention are given to Palau and the rest of the Pacific.  

Pacific Islanders celebrate 2011 Pacific Year of the Dugong

14 March 2011, Palau - Dugong protection in the Pacific Islands region will be highlighted this year as part of the Pacific Year of the Dugong. It is a boost to the conservation of the species and its seagrass habitats.

The regional campaign was launched in Korror, Palau this week by President Johnson Toribiong and Minister of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism Harry Fritz.

Palau hosts the smallest, most remote and critically endangered dugong population in the region.

In launching the regional campaign Palau also commenced their national campaign with the reminder by President Toribiong that we are stewards of the environment and have a moral obligation to protect dugongs in the spirit of “I’ll save you so some day you’ll save me”.

He requested support from other nations to join Palau to preserve, protect and cherish this important, unique dugong population.

Minister Fritz urged Palauans to take the task of education to protect, respect and love dugongs and their habitats.

It was also acknowledged at the launch of the Pacific Year of the Dugong 2011 that there is a need to address poaching which is the biggest threat to the fragile population in Palau. Authorities were urged to work together to enforce legislation to prevent this and it was highlighted that publicising arrests and convictions for poaching of dugongs would be an effective deterrent within the general community.

Raising the awareness on the status of dugongs and related aspects as well as the existing legislation was also raised as an important area for immediate attention.

Minister Yano closed the launch by confirming Palau’s Government full commitment to support the Pacific Year of the Dugong campaign and shared a personal experience when a local woman released a dugong that was tied up signifying that a single act can make an important change.

Notes: At the launch, about 60 invited guests, representing Government Ministries, NGOs, communities, students and industry groups were present. Opening remarks were given by the Honourable Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism. Guest speakers included SPREP and UNEP/CMS representatives. Presentations were given by the Koror State Rangers, Division of Fish and Wildlife of the Ministry of Justice and the Bureau of Marine Resources. The participants were entertained over lunch with the Palau Dugong song composed by Mr Edward Anastacio. The Minister of State, Mr Victor Yano gave closing remarks.

SPREP STATEMENT AT REGIONAL LAUNCH OF THE PACIFIC YEAR OF THE DUGONG

14 March, Palau - This statement was read on behalf of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) by the Marine Species Officer, Mr. Lui Bell, at the launch of the Pacific Year of the Dugong in Palau.

“The SPREP Director, Mr David Sheppard, sends his apologies for not being here today due to a prior commitment to attend the Climate Change Roundtable currently taking place in Niue.

On behalf Mr David Sheppard, I would like to thank the Government of Palau and the organizers of this event for accepting our request to include the regional launch of the Pacific Year of the Dugong campaign as part of your national campaign launch today. Thank you.

It was originally envisaged that the regional launch here would include representatives from all Pacific Island dugong range states and to also include of the review the regional dugong action plan. Unfortunately, funding constraints has made this impossible.

As most of you know, SPREP has been operating a regional marine species programme which focuses on three groups of marine species of conservation concern: dugongs, marine turtles and cetaceans. SPREP has a 5-year regional action plan for each of these groups.

In 2007 the SPREP Meeting endorsed the Secretariat’s proposal to also include sharks in its regional marine species programme. In November 2009, the regional Plan of Action for Sharks was launched jointly by SPC, FFA and SPREP.

SPREP’s work for the conservation and management of marine mammals in the Pacific Islands region can be dated back to the mid 1980s when UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme supported dugong conservation projects in Palau and Vanuatu.

In 1991 SPREP and UNEP facilitated a regional biodiversity conservation workshop in Vanuatu. One of the outcomes of this meeting was work towards a draft Marine Mammal Conservation Programme.

The Regional Marine Mammal Conservation programme’s first meeting was in 1993 where the focus was on briefing members on the significance of and threats to marine mammals in the region. Most of the work of the Regional Marine Mammals Conservation Programme during 1993-2003, was focused on whales and dolphins.

However, in 2002, it was decided to give more recognition to dugongs, and as a result the SPREP regional marine mammal programme was split with dugongs and cetaceans having separate regional action plans. Thus, starting from 2003, separate 5-year regional dugong and cetacean action plans were in place.

The current SPREP regional Dugong Action Plan 2008-2012 centers on nine key areas or themes: (i) Education and Awareness, (ii) Habitat Protection, (iii) Management, (iv) Traditional Knowledge, Customary Marine Tenure and Traditional Resource Management, (v) Capacity Building, (vi) Threats, (vii) Research and Monitoring, (viii) National, Regional, and International Collaboration, and (ix) Human and Financial Resources.

Even though dugongs occur in the waters of only 6 of the SPREP members (Australia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu), the proposal to declare 2011 as the Pacific Year of the Dugong received strong support and was endorsed by SPREP members at the 21st SPREP annual meeting, Papua New Guinea, September 2010.

The campaign is considered necessary due to several factors, for example:
• Dugongs are considered vulnerable to extinction on the global scale. All dugong populations are listed on Appendix 1 of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Dugongs are additionally listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which means they are considered, under CMS, to have an unfavourable conservation status and require international agreements for their conservation and management.
• Dugong is the only surviving member of the family Dugongidae, with its closest relative, Stellar’s sea-cow, hunted to extinction within 27 years of its discovery in the eighteenth century.
• They have disappeared from several areas including waters off Mauritius, Taiwan, western Sri Lanka and the Maldives. This can be a reality in our region as well.
• The dugong population in Palau is considered to be the most isolated in the world, and in addition to threats facing this population, it can be classified as “critically endangered”.
• Dugongs are also of high cultural value in many parts of their range, a valued source of food, medicine and artefacts and a flagship species for coastal peoples.
• There is not much information available on dugong populations in the SPREP region and much work is needed to improve information, awareness and ultimately their management and protection.

The Pacific Year of the Dugong Campaign has four key objectives:
• Promote awareness and conservation of dugongs at site-level targeting key stewards and the fishing industry;
• Reduce dugong mortality as a result of human activities;
• Improve status information and promote sustainable management of dugong populations and protection of their habitats at the national level through effective and practical national legislation and policies;
• Advance partnerships and secure resources for long-term support for dugong conservation in the region

Dugongs face a host of threats to their survival. They are an easy target and are highly susceptible to coastal hunters. Subsistence hunting of dugongs may have been sustainable in the past. However the combination of increasing human populations in the Pacific and the introduction of new harvesting technologies such as outboard motors and gill nets has severely impacted the species. The fact that dugongs have a long life span but are slow breeders makes them susceptible to population decline. It has been estimated that a dugong population of only 100 animals would not sustain any human-caused mortality.

Dugongs also face many other threats including incidental by-catch in fishing gear, vessel strikes and destructive fishing practises. The incidental drowning of dugongs caught in fishing gear, such as gill-nets, has contributed to the major decline of dugongs in much of its range. The increase in vessel traffic also increases the likelihood of dugongs being killed by vessel strikes.

Then there are the threats to the food sources of dugongs, seagrasses. Coastal development increases sedimentation and turbidity which not only smother seagrass but also reduce the amount of light reaching them, resulting in the degradation of seagrasses and a reduction in their density and productivity.

SPREP’s work is guided by its mandate, which is “to promote cooperation in the Pacific islands region and to provide assistance in order to protect and improve the environment and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations”.

This theme of cooperation and providing assistance is, first of all, reflected in SPREP’s commitment to maintain, facilitate and provide support and assistance to implement the regional marine species programme, including the regional dugong action plan.

Secondly, SPREP seeks cooperation of partners and collaborators to implement the action plans, sometimes by entering into Memorandum of Understandings.

I would like to acknowledge here our collaboration with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) under a Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2005 which has since resulted in closer working relationship between SPREP and CMS on marine species work that includes dugongs. I would also like to acknowledge in particular the recent assistance from UNEP/CSM for dugong work in the Pacific Islands region.

However, there are over-arching problems and challenges surrounding conservation efforts in the Pacific Islands region. Some of these include:
• Lack of data and information resulting from the absence or lack of ongoing and long-term research and monitoring programmes;
• Limited public awareness and education programmes;
• Limited in-country skills / capacity to provide leadership in marine species conservation management;
• Limited national management mechanisms to protect marine animals and their habitats;
• Limited information exchange, linkages and collaboration.

To address these challenges, SPREP calls on Governments and partners, communities, fishermen, marine tour operators and developers, for us all to work together:
• To establish long-term dugong research and monitoring programmes at both community and national levels to improve our knowledge of the status of dugongs for informed decisions on management.
• Develop or review current legislation to adequately and effectively protect dugongs. A vital component of this is the ability for effective enforcement.
• Protect sea-grass habitats which are vital to dugongs as well as a host of other marine species and consider the impacts of coastal development on sea-grass habitats in Environmental Impact Assessment processes.
• Seize the excessive and illegal hunting of dugongs and the use of destructive fishing methods.
• Minimize impacts from gillnets and boat strikes by following simple guidelines.

The continuing health of dugong populations is essential to maintaining a healthy Pacific Ocean. Join us as a Pacific family in making sure we play our part to Respect and Protect dugongs and their habitats.

In closing, I would like to congratulate all of the SPREP members that are dugong range states for signing the CMS MoU for the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their habitats throughout their range.

I would like to especially congratulate the Government of Palau and local promoters on the great initiatives and achievements in the declaration of the sanctuary for sharks and sanctuary for marine mammals. These are milestone examples for the region advancing the conservation of marine species of conservation concern.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to affirm SPREP’s commitment to the implementation of the regional dugong action plan and this Campaign and will continue to look at new ways to strengthen our cooperation with partners in order to achieve common goals.

Thank You.”

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