Issue of high seas for Marshall Islands and Nauru

The Pacific Voyage Media Team 26 October 2010

The Marshall Islands asks for developing nations to respect closure of high seas

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is seeking the support of developing nations to respect the closure of the high seas of countries comprising the Parties of to the Nauru Agreement to purse seine fishing.

The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) includes Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

These countries are the owners of 25% of the world’s tuna supply.

Joseph Tibon, Technical Policy Officer of the Marshall Islands says that during the negotiations here at the Convention of Biological Diversity, it is encouraging developing nations to support the scheme.

“We are showcasing PNA countries approach for developing nations to support,” Tibon stresses.

The high seas including the Marshall Islands will be closed to purse seine fishing vessels licensed to fish in their waters.

The closed high seas area stretches from Palau and Papua New Guinea in the West to Kiribati in the East, Marshall Islands in the North to Tuvalu in the South.

The high seas closure covers an area of 4,555,000 sq km.

The PNA also has 100% observer coverage of purse seine vessels to monitor compliance of the high seas area closure.

The high seas closure might be an issue for developing nations because it could overlap with international seas.

Tibon states that Marshall Islands coastal and marine biodiversity are very important because it is the nations’ source of food and livelihood.

With this in mind, RMI also wants new agreements to the access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of utilization and the protection of marine stocks.

L - R Tyrone Deiye (Nauru) and Joseph Tibon (Marshall Islands)

Nauru protects biodiversity

Nauru shares similar issues with the rest of the Pacific Island nations which it wants to address during the remaining days of the Convention of Biological Diversity.

Two issues are vital to Nauru  says Tyrone Deiye, the Environment Policy Officer of the Department of Commerce Industry and Environment, the access to  genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of their utilization and the protection of marine stocks.

“Small islands have only few resources and we want to protect it,” Deiye cites.

As a party to the Convention, Nauru says that most of the developed countries come to the small island states and access their resources.  Take for example, the fish stocks in the Pacific Ocean that is in danger of depletion if bigger countries make their way to the region’s waters.

Nauru is one of the countries which comprisesthe Parties to the Nauru Agreement.  The rest of the countries are  Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,  Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

The PNA aims to improve the region's tuna fisheries through sustainable management and innovation.

“The Pacific Ocean is now the hunting environment,” he says.

Nauru is also concerned about the access and benefit sharing of natural biodiversity.

The access benefit sharing regime will allow the sharing of  benefits derived from their use.  Genetic resources whether from plant, animal or micro-organisms may be used for different purposes (e.g. basic research, commercialisation of products). Users of genetic resources may include research institutes, universities and private companies operating in various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, horticulture and biotechnology.

Benefits derived from genetic resources may include the result of research and development carried out on genetic resources, the transfer of technologies which make use of those resources, participation in biotechnological research activities, or monetary benefits arising from the commercialisation of products based on genetic resources. One example of monetary benefits could be the sharing of royalties arising from patented products based on genetic resources.

The Conference of the Parties established the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (a subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties) with the mandate to develop guidelines and other approaches to assist Parties with the implementation of the access and benefit-sharing provisions of the Convention.

Nauru like the rest of the PNA countries wants the depletion of its marine stocks, especially the tuna stocks by agreeing in to closing of pockets in high seas from commercial fishing.  He says that the developing nations, fish stocks are already running out which makes them come to the smaller nations for resources.

Nauru is in unity will the PNA countries in encouraging developing nations to support the closure of the high seas to purse seine fishing.

The Pacific works together at the Biodiversity negotiations: Palau supports intervention on the table

The Pacific Voyage Media Team

19 October Nagoya, Japan - Palau has called on participants at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10) to recognise small island nations as leaders in the large scale protected areas initiative.

During the Working Group discussions on Protected Areas, an intervention from Palau was made by its National Environmental Planner Sebastian Marino.

“We would like to support the statement of the Pacific Island Countries grouping as presented by Fiji. 

"We would like to build upon the statement to recognize the important efforts of Micronesian region in the global protected areas efforts,” Marino said.  (Please check story Pacific raises voice at negotiations on marine and coastal biodiversity for details on the Pacific statement presented by Fiji)

Marino emphasized on the Micronesia Challenge as an example to meet protected area targets.

The Micronesia Challenge is a regional inter-governmental initiative that will facilitate more effective conservation of marine and forest resources in Micronesia.  The regional initiative conserves 30 percent of near shore coastal waters and 20 percent of forest land by 2020.

The Micronesia Challenge is Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands, and the U.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. These nations and territories represent nearly 5 percent of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean and 7 percent of its coastlines.

Marino shared during the intervention that the Micronesia Challenge is aiming to protect 30% of near shore resources by 2020.

The Phoenix Island Protected Area is an undertaking by Kiribati which establishes 408,000 sq. km. as a marine protected area – one of the largest in the world.

“Madam chair, I am sure that you realize that these efforts are being undertaken by some of the smallest countries in the world”, stated Marino.

“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.”

The Pacific Island nations which comprises of the Parties to the Nauru agreement are also leading the way in the protection of high seas.

During a recent tuna summit, the eight nations - Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu have closed pockets of high seas surrounding their Exclusive Economic Zone from fishing.

"We hope that these innovative approaches to close high seas areas to fishing will be supported by the decisions made at this meeting. We call for action of all parties to move forward with the high seas agenda,” Marino emphasizes.

To read the full intervention made by Palau please read below:

"Thank you Madam Chair and congratulations for your appointment to the chair of this important working group and I would also like to thank you for allowing me to take the floor on this very important issue.

Before I begin addressing issues on this subject matter, let me bring our attention to those local communities who are directly dependent on such resources for their economic survival, as we are here today, talking about the importance of preserving and protecting them. In this context, Madam Chair, I would like to propose that, as we continue our deliberation today, we should put into consideration and recognize the commitments and sacrifices these communities are facing each and every day as they commit their resources for the benefit of human kind and for the future benefit of this planet earth.

Palau would like to support the statement of the Pacific Island Countries grouping as presented by Fiji. We would like to build upon the statement to recognize the important efforts of Micronesian region in the global protected areas efforts.

In the Pacific Ocean, a number of small islands have taken massive steps towards the global goals for marine protected areas.

We recognize the vital importance of the creation of a representative system of Marine Protected Areas and would like to emphasize the Micronesian Challenge as a fine example of a tool for a systematic approach to meeting the various marine protected area targets. The Micronesian Challenge is working with 5 Pacific Island entities/countries with EEZs and territorial waters covering 6.7 million comprising 5 percent of the Pacific Ocean and 7 percent of its coastlines. The Micronesia Challenge is aiming to protect 30% of near shore resources by 2020.

We also wish to share some of the other bold moves made in the Pacific for example, the 408,000 km2 Phoenix Island Protected Area established by Kiribati which was recently inscribed into 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.

Palau and its 8 country partners in the Party to the Nauru agreement are leading the way in the protection of the high seas.  This action by 8 Pacific Island nations have closed pockets of high seas surrounding there EEZs.  Madam chair, we hope that these innovative approaches to close high seas areas to fishing will be supported by the decisions made at this meeting. We call for action of all parties to move forward with the high seas agenda.

In summary, the countries and states of Micronesia are leading the way in many of the large scale protected areas initiative. Madam chair, I am sure that you realize that these efforts are being undertaken by some of the smallest countries in the world.

We look forward to recognition of these efforts and approaches, and further support by relevant parties.

Madam Chair, Palau welcomes and support your suggestion to specific paragraphs in the working document and we look forward to an effective discussion and fruitful conclusion on such important issues.

Thank you very much Madam Chair for the opportunity!"

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.