14/01/2005 UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan, together with the President
of the Seychelles and Vice President of
Palau, made a call to action to conserve
coral reefs and to preserve the livelihoods
of island communities.
“We have a vision. We have agreed goals.
What we need is high level political commitment
for marine conservation and protected areas,”
the UN Secretary General said while attending
an international meeting of Small Island
Developing States (SIDS) in Port Louis,
Mauritius. “The United Nations system shares
its strong devotion to this effort.”
Pledges of over US$20 million were made
by governments and non-governmental organizations,
including WWF, the International Coral Reef
Action Network, and the Nature Conservancy,
to support networks of marine protected
areas in small island developing states
around the world.
“The financial support will enable the
island states to turn political commitments
into actions on the ground to increase the
resilience of natural systems and generate
jobs, income and food security today and
for future generations,” said Sian Owen,
Coordinator of WWF's Coral Reef Advocay
Initiative.
Also at the meeting, Fiji’s Foreign Affairs
Minister, Kaliopate Tavola, announced that
by 2020, at least 30 per cent of Fiji’s
oceans and coastal waters will become part
of a national network of Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs).
“Nurturing environmental sustainability
as one of the main pillars of sustainable
development is necessary to enhance our
cultural and economic survival,” he said.
“Consolidating our national networks of
marine protected areas is a mainstay for
national incomes, coastal livelihoods and
traditional cultures, and goes hand in hand
with the provision of alternative sources
of livelihood.”
Fiji, together with several nations, was
commended for showing global leadership
in its national efforts to advance the goals
set at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development, which links marine conservation
with poverty alleviation and sustainable
development. These efforts will also lead
to delivery on the marine and coastal protected
areas targets set out in the Convention
on Biological Diversity.
The Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (FLMMA)
network group — a partnership of communities,
government, and local and international
organisations, including WWF — was also
highlighted for its effective approach to
marine conservation. To date, 410 units
of traditional fishing areas across the
Fiji archipelago, which consists of over
300 islands and 29 coastal districts, are
in various stages of implementing management
plans.
“When we first heard from WWF that our
reef was the world’s third largest barrier
reef, we realised that we had to protect
it for ourselves and future generations,”
said Ratu Tui Macuata, Paramount Chief of
Fiji’s Great Sea Reef.
“It takes leadership to realise such a
paradigm shift, but this is what we have
achieved. Now all our villages are looking
forward to developing management plans with
our partners and seeing our commitments
come to life on the reef itself.”
NOTES:
• 37 island nations are attending the UN
conference on Small Island Developing States
from 10-14 January in Mauritius to discuss
challenges from natural disasters to climate
change and threats from HIV/AIDS. It will
discuss as a matter of priority the need
for better preparedness in small islands
against natural disasters such as tsunamis
and cyclones.
• At present, 43 Small Island Developing
States and territories are included in the
list used by the United Nations Department
of Economic and Social Affairs in monitoring
the progress in the implementation of the
Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA). Theses
States and territories often work together
through the Alliance of Small Island States
(AOSIS).
