Pacific Island governments could change their view of their natural wealth, from one of being limited and based mainly on fisheries and agriculture, "to one that we have an abundance of wealth," believes Dr David Martin an expert on intellectual property, who is visiting Tonga.

International Conventions and local Intellectual Property legislations are one-sided in favour of multinationals, and offer no protection for indigenous knowledge and creativity, he said in Nuku'alofa on October 20.

Dr Martin believed that the USA, the Europeans and Japan did not have the best interests of Tonga and the region in mind when they drafted their rules on Intellectual Property. "Their interest is for the advantage of the multinationals."

He said that over 3,000 compounds and traditional elements from the Pacific had been patented for commercial ventures in overseas countries, "from pharmaceuticals to chemicals and artistic expression - but none of the value has ever flowed back to the region."

He gave an example of a case in Samoa where a compound for the treatment of a certain virus and cancer was taken by a foreign botanist and patented. The Samoan healer who had been the guardian of this knowledge of the compound, "will not benefit from it at all, the benefits go to other countries."

Dr Martin said that there were disadvantages for indigenous people when they tried to patent indigenous knowledge and creative works. "The Intellectual Property system requires a written record, and therefore oral knowledge can not be patented."

He argued that that was why there was a need for the redrafting of Intellectual Property legislation.

"It is inappropriate to have an IP paradigm that defends multi- nationals within European waters but does not repatriate any benefits to the indigenous people of say Tonga."

Dr Martin said he has been helping the Samoan government to draft an Intellectual Property Repatriation Legislation, with the hope that it could be adopted by the Pacific Islands Region.

Dr Martin believed that Pacific Island governments could change their view of their natural wealth, from one of being limited, base mainly on fisheries and agriculture, "to one that we have an abundance of wealth."

He said, for example, "there is quest for renewable energy and algae is a good source, and in China where they are trying to raise algae in big pipes you have the ocean. Under-water mineral mining is another one.

"The first step is to link Intellectual Property to finance and the two important Ministers who should be involved in this are the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Finance."

Dr Martin was brought to Tonga by the Tonga Chamber of Commerce for a week from October 18-24.