Representatives from key Ministries and non-government organisations met in Nuku'alofa this week to plan activities to support Government and coastal communities achieve their protected marine species conservation priorities. Participants agreed the activities should focus on reducing the catch of endangered marine species such as turtles and sharks in offshore and inshore fisheries and strengthening the capacity of government staff to help ensure that the Kingdom of Tonga meet their obligations under the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
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Senior representatives from eight Government Departments met in Port Vila yesterday for the first meeting of the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) programme-funded By-catch and Integrated Ecosystem Management (BIEM) Initiative Steering Committee.
The By-catch and Integrated Ecosystem Management (BIEM) Initiative hosted a one-hour side event on the final day of the 10th Pacific Islands Conference − Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, which was held virtually from 24 to 27 November, 2020. The side event provided an opportunity to update on progress of the turtle extinction risk assessment for the Pacific islands region.
Provincial government, community leaders, industry and conservation groups recently met to share their views on an update to the country’s National Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sharks. The series of meetings successfully secured feedback on the draft plans and the Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority (CEPA) committed to reflecting stakeholder comments in the final documents, which will be endorsed in early 2021.
Beaches are an ecological wonder, home to a wide variety of species that live within the beach or migrate to the beach as part of their life cycle. Yet beaches are facing increasing change and environmental impacts from human use, erosion, land development and climate change. These impacts are not only on the habitat but also the myriad of land, coastal and marine species that play a vital role in beach ecosystems; and for those species, beaches may be getting too hot!
Honiara, Solomon Islands – Eighteen Solomon Islanders are now further equipped with skills and knowledge to operate seafood businesses’ after gaining a Micro-Qualification in Establishing and Operating a Small Seafood Business.
This was made possible through scholarships awarded by the University of the South Pacific (USP) as part of the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) Programme funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden.
SUVA, Fiji - Twenty-seven fisheries enforcement officials will in nine days’ time be able to understand practical ways to conduct fish market inspections, interpret fisheries legislation and take part in a moot court exercise on evidence gathering and presenting witnesses to curb illegal fishing practices in the Pacific Ocean.
The officers from nine Pacific Island countries, of which 13 are women, will be part of this face-to-face competency-based assessment (CBA), a culmination of online delivered cohorts for the past six months.
“Vanuatu is blessed with a diverse and productive marine environment, and our marine species, such as fish, turtles and seabirds are part of our cultural heritage,” said Esline Garaebiti, Director General, Ministry of Climate Change, Meteorology and Geo-hazard, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management at the launch of a new initiative to protect our marine species.