Environment
Respect Traditional Ways
Greetings to you all. Having recently been appointed the new director for SPREP, and as this is my first column, I believe now would be the appropriate time to introduce myself to Islands Business readers.
So let’s start at the beginning. I grew up on Onoun Island in Namonweito Atoll, a tiny, remote destination in Chuuk State, that is part of the Federated States of Micronesia. There were fewer than five hundred inhabitants. I learned from an early age, that environmental protection in this setting was not an abstraction, rather a part of one’s perspective on life. But it was not until I travelled from my island for the first time to attend high school, that I realised the real nature of the threat to what I had known as a child.
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So it should come as no surprise then that I am totally committed to the protection of the Pacific environment. This commitment is underlined by an awareness of the complexity of the issues we face, and their inter-relationship with other elements necessary for a rewarding life for all our people.
As the economies of developing islands states rely on the industrialised world for trade revenues and investment, we need to seek out ways to develop a lifestyle that can be reasonably sustained, using the means available to most of us.
What is needed is a combination of two factors from our politicians. The first is the mainstreaming of precise environmental responses to issues, as part of our member governments analysis, and policy making moves across the board. The second factor is integrating those responses into decisions that permeate all levels of society.
Already there are some positive signs to achieving this. Most SPREP members now have designated environment offices and departments. Sustainable economic development is now one of SPREP’s five key result areas, to assist with mainstreaming and integration activities. And significantly for the first time last year, Vanuatu’s Finance Minister, Sela Molissa, chair of the Finance and Economic Ministers Meeting attended the 13th SPREP Meeting. There he called on government finance experts to sharpen their environmental perspectives, and to come up with policies for sustainable development with incentives for the public and private sector. Acknowledging the need to work together, both organisations agreed to have formal representation at their respective annual meetings from this year. I look forward to them.
Of course nothing moves without sound financial backing, something SPREP members realise. Although many Pacific governments face financial difficulties, we require their contributory support and understanding, in order for SPREP to achieve what it has been mandated to do.
Our donor organisations, key non-member countries, and SPREP’s developed country members, continue to provide significant assistance to help us meet the fiscal needs and challenges within the secretariat’s programmes and work.
The challenges are not new; they include the future of our marine ecosystems, climate change and sea level rise. As Islands Business noted recently the Pacific has the last great fishery on the planet.
Yet only a tiny percentage of what is caught, processed and profited from returns to the region. Constructive and innovative licensing arrangements need to be considered, to maximise the stream of benefits to the islands and minimise undesirable effects such as overfishing; while encouraging our local industries to get busy and compete harder.
More importantly governments have to be assertive, and stand together in order to deal effectively with distant water fishing nations. Reversing the current situation is not feasible or practical.
However, we have learned some lessons to fashion new constructive approaches that respect the sustainability of the targeted species while meeting the interests of all the players.
It is easier said than done, but we can do it, if we put our minds to it.
Similarly the effects of climate change and sea level rise carry a massive economic and social count for those of us who inhabit the low lying atolls in the region.
While the agreement by the World Summit for Sustainable Development, gives the Pacific special case status, and welcome technical and monetary support, SPREP members must highlight to our global partners at every opportunity, the full impact that awaits some of our people should the worst case scenario occur. I am thankful of the assistance so far offered, but this is finite, and must be used in ways that will offer some practical results and hope.
For SPREP, I propose a path based on assimilating scientific knowledge and applying it in a way that is practical, and can be used by our people in their daily lives. To do so, we must respect our traditional ways and seek out what is best, then build on this by communicating, by being creative and compassionate, and by being patient.
In its short life, SPREP has built a proud history. For example, it has established an effective legal framework for the protection of lands and seas where none had previously existed.
This was also reflected in the negotiations that led to the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, where the secretariat provided technical advice for Pacific delegations who attended, as well as encouraging members to ratify the Stockholm Convention to ban persistent organic pollutants from the region.
These achievements testify to the dedication and professionalism of the current secretariat, and their predecessors. I am honoured to be their team leader for the next three years.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my predecessor Tamari’i Tutangata, for paving the way for me. Thank you Tamari’i, for your valuable contributions and outstanding performance, I wish you well in your future endeavours.
