SPREP calls on Pacific Islanders to help protect our ocean [1]
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - 16:30. Updated on Thursday, June 16, 2016 - 16:56.
Pacific people are urged to be part of the 'Wave for Change' social media campaign and commit to activities to protect the ocean as part of World Oceans Day today, 8 June.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) says the ocean needs to be protected from threats such as climate change, ocean acidification, marine pollution and overfishing as it plays a vital role covering 98% of the Pacific region that consists of only 2% of land area.
“Our ocean plays a crucial role for us all, it generates our oxygen, helps feed us, is the basis of many Pacific island traditions and customs and has helped provide the foundation for the way of life for many coastal island communities,” stated Mr Warren Lee Long, the Coastal and Marine Adviser of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
“Our ocean, along with the marine life it sustains, faces many threats and challenges – we all need to come together and commit to better practices to help ensure we bring about a healthy ocean which will lead to a healthy planet.”
The World Oceans Day [2] website lists activities (including Wave for Change [3]) and events around the world individuals can be involved in, from picking up rubbish at the beach to holding events to raise awareness of threats affecting our ocean.
At the corporate level, SPREP is working with partners to help protect, manage, maintain and sustain the cultural and natural integrity of the ocean.
One of the projects is to help strengthen the resilience of coastal communities to the impacts of ocean acidification, where the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere due to humankind’s industrial and agricultural activities resulting in changing the chemistry of the seawater affecting all life in the ocean.
Dr Tommy Moore, the Pacific Islands Global Ocean Observing System Officer and NZ PPOA project manager of SPREP said ”Ocean acidification and climate change pose a direct threat to Pacific island coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, which provide essential services such as food security, tourism, coastal protection, and cultural heritage.”
“We are working with local governments and communities to raise awareness of these issues and what actions they can take to increase the resilience of their coastal lagoon habitats now and for future generations.”
Other projects include SPREP’s regional Protect Pacific Whales – Ocean Voyagers [4] campaign to conserve and protect the whales. A SPREP facebook competition [5] calling for entries of whale photographs or art pieces is underway with prizes awarded.
“We are really encouraged by the submissions we have received so far and would like to see many more,” said Ms. Nanette Woonton of the Communications and Outreach Unit at SPREP.
“We are still accepting entries until 22 June, after that they’ll be displayed on our Facebook page for people to ‘like’, we’ve received some great submissions and are always keen to see more – it’s a great way to celebrate and commemorate our Pacific Whales!”
Steps are also being taken to protect sharks and ray species that are declining at an alarming rate due to commercial fishing. The Mobula rays, thresher sharks, and silky sharks are proposed to be listed on the world’s endangered list (Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)).
Shark sanctuaries have been established in Palau and the Marshall Islands and Fiji’s Fisheries Department has proposed to its government to build a shark moratorium and develop conservation measures to protect sharks and rays within their waters.
World Ocean Day started in 2002 and has grown each year with hundreds of partners involved reaching millions worldwide.