[pima.nius] SPREP News 20 May 2011

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) T: (685) 21929  F: (685) 20231 E: sprep@sprep.org W: www.sprep.org

Environment News  20 May, 2011 ·         Message from SPREP Director, David Sheppard – 22 May 2011, International Day for Biodiversity ·         Recipient of Greg Urwin Award based at SPREP ·         Conservation awareness strengthened in Rotuma ·         Review of past Pacific Performance at past International Biodiversity Conferences ·         Pacific still to sign agreement on biodiversity benefits       Statement by David Sheppard Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme on the occasion of   International Day for Biodiversity 22 May 2011   Legendary navigator Ferdinand Magellan labeled our Ocean as beautiful and peaceful giving root to the name – Pacific Ocean.  It spans 35% of the earth's surface and is home to approximately 3,000 different islands, vibrant Pacific communities with lively cultures and traditions, and a great bounty of marine and terrestrial life.   The Pacific region contains some of the most unique species on earth, with large numbers of plants and animals occurring nowhere else on the planet.  Papua New Guinea, for example, contains over 5% of the world's biodiversity concentrated in less than 1% of the world's total land area. The Western Pacific is acknowledged to have the highest marine diversity in the world with up to 3,000 species found on a single reef.    The Pacific is truly blessed with an abundance of life, biodiversity including forest biodiversity, which we take for granted all too easily.  We failed to meet global 2010 targets to halt the rate of biodiversity loss prompting a decade of action on biodiversity starting this year.    350 square km's of forest cover is lost world wide on a daily basis.  In the Pacific islands alone, the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ suggests that out of 3,769 species assessed, 123 are extinct, while another 1,060 are threatened with extinction.  To put these numbers in perspective using birds as an example, 1 in every 8 birds in the Pacific islands region will disappear forever unless we do something about it.   The world has now committed to the 20 "Aichi Targets" which we are to meet by 2020.  In our region these targets will help us strengthen our conservation work across the Pacific as they are within our reach.  They include a commitment to halve or bring close to zero, the loss of natural habitats and also to protect 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas and 20% of marine areas.   We have the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) in Kiribati - the largest marine protected area on earth - now a World Heritage Site.  In our Pacific region we also have the Micronesia Challenge, a commitment by the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam and the Northern Marianas to conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.    For the year ahead the Pacific region will strengthen our approach in how we continue to meet these targets and play our role in saving our island biodiversity – the overarching foundation for the Pacific way of life.  The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) will work with partners and Pacific island countries, building up the strategies we now use to help save our biodiversity.   This year on 22 May, the International Biodiversity Day, take time to reflect upon the links between your community and our Island biodiversity including our forests.   Biodiversity belongs to us all, not just the environmentalists or conservationists in our region, we are all stewards.  Let's smarten up and Value our Island Biodiversity – It's our Life.     Recipient of Greg Urwin Award based at SPREP [Climate Change and Variability]The Pacific environment is the focus of a Greg Urwin Award now underway at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Mr Taniela Faletau of Tonga is one of the five awardees for 2010, but the second recipient ever to implement the award which funds short term placement at a Pacific regional organisation of choice. While this is the second induction of five candidates since the Greg Urwin Awards were launched in 2009 other recipients are still currently undertaking their studies. Mr Faletau has spent the past four years pursuing his doctoral studies on 'Addressing the environmental impact of a strong development paradigm in small island developing states in the face of climatic change'. Having completed theory work, he is now learning 'on t ...(to be continued) more->   Conservation awareness strengthened in Rotuma [Nature Conservation]Empowered communities in Rotuma, an isolated island located to the North of Fiji, are strong stewards of their environment caring for their biodiversity and undertaking programs to conserve nature on the island. The LäjeRotuma Initiative (LRI) is a community-based environmental education and awareness development programme in Rotuma that has provided strong support to the local communities. Formed in 2002 by a group of young Rotumans, to bridge their home island with the rest of the world in raising awareness on environment issues, the LRI has successfully led numerous activities on the island. Rotuma is a 43 square kilometer Island with a population density of 61 people per square km (Fiji Census 1996). It is situated in the South West Pacific, about 465km North of Fiji. ...(to be continued) more-> The LäjeRotuma Initiative->   Review of past Pacific Performance at past International Biodiversity Conferences [Nature Conservation]Since the very first Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP) in 1994, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has consistently provided support to the Pacific island region at these negotiations. A brief review of Pacific attendance and performance at all CBD COP negotiations was compiled for participants at a Pacific island meeting on biodiversity in Nadi this week. The performance of the region at the 10th International Biodiversity conference in Nagoya last year and how we move forward is the topic on the table for discussions. "In consistently attending the international negotiations on biodiversity it shows the dedication and commitment from the Pacific region towards conserving and protecting our ...(to be continued) more-> Pacific Biodiversity - Bionesian blog->   Pacific still to sign agreement on biodiversity benefits [Nature Conservation]The Pacific island countries are yet to sign on to an international agreement that that aims at sharing the benefits that come from using genetic resources, in a fair and equitable way. After six years of negotiations, there is now an international agreement adopted by the international community at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya last year. The protocol is now open for signature by Parities to the Convention 60 signatories from countries are required by 1 February next year before the Protocol can come into effect, to date there are 21 countries that have signed on. The Government of Fiji has announced they intend to sign the Protocol before February next year, with a timeline to help raise awareness and understand ...(to be continued) more-> Pacific biodiversity - Bionesian Blog->

 

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------

The pima.nius googlegroup is a facility for discussion and distributing information regarding the Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA). Content sent by this googlegroup are forwarded from various networks and media publications to keep you informed about aspects of the media industry. 

These emails are unedited and discussions made through this googlegroup are unmoderated. Announcements made through this googlegroup do not constitute endorsement for the organisations, individuals or opinions featured. Please check the integrity of organisations and individuals before exchanging personal information with them. 

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------
The pima.nius googlegroup is a facility for discussion and distributing information. Content sent by this googlegroup are forwarded from various networks and media publications.
 
DISCLAIMER: These emails are unedited and discussions made through this googlegroup are unmoderated. Announcements made through this googlegroup do not constitute endorsement for the organisations, individuals or opinions featured. Please check the integrity of organisations and individuals before exchanging personal information with them.
 
- - - - - - - - -
comment here:
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius/topics?hl=en
 
send an email comment here:
pima-nius@googlegroups.com
 
unsubscribe:
pima-nius+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
 
more options
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius?hl=en?hl=en
 
- - - - - - - - -