Media release
18 November 2009
Environment Minister Peter Garrett today
departed for Solomon Islands to plan the
next phase of action on protecting marine
biodiversity and the vulnerable coastal
communities whose livelihoods are dependent
on maintaining the health of the remarkable
Coral Triangle.
“The Coral Triangle
is recognised as an area of global environmental
significance, with the greatest marine biological
diversity on the planet,” Mr Garrett said.
“I am very pleased to
be attending the 2nd Ministerial meeting
of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral
Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security to look
at ways of building the resilience of this
marine environment to the impacts climate
change.”
Located adjacent to
Australia’s northern waters, the Coral Triangle
contains seventy five per cent of the world’s
known coral species, one third of the world’s
coral reef area, and more than 3,000 species
of fish. Astoundingly, 240 million people
are dependent on this ocean wealth for food
and livelihoods.
“This Initiative has
an important role in building awareness
on ocean vulnerability and reducing the
impacts of climate change.
“Australia is very pleased
to be involved with the six countries that
form this unique partnership – Indonesia,
Timor Leste, the Philippines, Malaysia,
Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
“Since the Initiative
was first formed in the margins of the Bali
climate talks in 2007, these six countries
have been working cooperatively to preserve
their ocean wealth, and secure a healthy
marine system for current and future generations,”
Mr Garrett said.
“The CTI have established
cooperative working mechanisms across the
region, produced a CTI Regional Plan of
Action and six National Plans of Action,
all in less than two years.
“It is a remarkable
achievement and a demonstration of the CT
countries’ commitment. However there is
more work to do, and no time to waste especially
with the impacts to this region from escalating
pressures compounded by climate change.
“At these talks I intend
to continue to provide Australia’s support
to the CTI process, and hold discussions
with Solomon Islands and other CTI countries
about how Australia can best support their
National Plans of Action,” he said.
Australia is collaborating
with the United States of America, Asian
Development Bank, Conservation International,
The Nature Conservancy and the World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF) to support the implementation
of the CTI plans of action.
+ More
National Maritime Museum
purchases Omai relics
Media release
18 November 2009
Arts Minister Peter Garrett today announced
funding of $100,000 from the Australian
Government's National Cultural Heritage
Account for the Australian National Maritime
Museum to acquire the Omai relics from the
Tobias Furneaux collection.
“The relics comprise
three rare clubs collected during Captain
Cook's second exploration of the Pacific
between from 1772–1775,” Mr Garrett said.
“There are two Tongan
clubs, collected in Tongatapu, Tonga in
1773 and a Maori whalebone patu (club) collected
from Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand
in 1774.
“The Government is very
pleased to help the Museum purchase these
important historic artefacts through the
National Cultural Heritage Account.
“The Omai relics represent
an important era in European exploration
in the Pacific. They are a symbol of the
trade between explorers and Pacific indigenous
peoples during the 18th century.
“The history of ownership,
rarity and beauty of these relics makes
them an extremely valuable and important
part of our heritage.
The relics were transported
to England on HMS Adventure, captained by
Tobias Furneaux. Omai, the first Polynesian
to visit England in the 1700s, also travelled
on HMS Adventure, and the relics have since
come to be known as the 'Omai Relics'.
“The unique ethnographic
story of these relics will now be shared
with Australians through the Australian
National Maritime Museum,” Mr Garrett said.
“The Omai relics will
make a significant contribution to the Museum's
Exploration and European Settlement collection,
a key focus of the Museum.”
The Australian Government's
National Cultural Heritage Account has assisted
cultural organisations, ranging from regional
historical societies to state-based and
national collecting institutions, buy more
than 30 nationally significant objects or
collections since its inception in 1999.
