Urgent need for Tonga to protect 22 priority marine sites

Tonga is among Pacific Islands countries that have identified important marine areas that are ecologically or biologically significant, and Vava'u is one area that has sites that need protecting. “There is an urgent need for follow-up activities to manage and mitigate threats on 22 sites identified as priorities. Seven of these sites are awaiting to be gazetted as conservation areas, with different levels of protection,” said Tonga's representative at the global biodiversity conference (CBD COP13) in Cancun, Mexico this week.