Island and Ocean Ecosystems
Agreement recognises the benefits of international collaboration in sustainable marine management and strengthens marine protection under the Pacific Oceanscape.
The Governments of New Caledonia and the Cook Islands have signed a sister-sites agreement between their large-scale marine protected areas.
The agreement was made to coordinate their efforts in the sustainable management of their marine areas, which together total 2.5 million km2.
New Caledonia plans to share its experience in the field of trans-disciplinary and multi-sectoral scientific exploration. The Cook Islands will bring their expertise in the field of integrated marine governance, both at community and national levels.
"We are extremely pleased to formalise a sister site agreement with New Caledonia, given our common interest in ensuring that we are responsible stewards of our marine environment. It is my hope that opportunities for the use, enjoyment and access of benefits from both sister sites are equitable for present and future generations," said the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hon. Henry Puna.
The official signing follows the announced intentions of these governments to establish a sister-sites agreement in September 2012 at the 23th Conference of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
"We congratulate this agreement between the Cook Islands and New Caledonia, two of our SPREP members, for their joint initiative that will support a more sustainable marine environment for the Pacific," said Mr. David Sheppard, Director-General of SPREP.
This cooperative agreement was inspired by the model established between the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and the Phoenix Islands Protected (PIPA) area in Kiribati, signed in 2006. The duplication of this model was facilitated by the Big Ocean Network, which brings together the managers of large marine protected areas of over 200,000 km2.
"Conservation International has been working closely with both governments to assist in the development of these monumental marine protected areas under the Pacific Oceanscape. We believe that this official agreement will provide excellent ongoing benefits to all stakeholders, from local communities, right up to the economies of these societies, and strengthen the conservation of the beautiful and unique marine environments that they are stewards of," said Jean-Christophe Lefeuvre, Conservation International New Caledonia Program Director.
The Pacific Oceanscape Initiative, endorsed by 22 Pacific island countries and territories, pursues the ambitious goal of sustainably developing, managing and conserving nearly 40 million km2 (10% of the oceans on Earth). This initiative is intended to foster stewardship at scale – local, national, regional and international – to ensure health and well-being of Pacific Island peoples and their ocean.
Under the Pacific Oceanscape, Kiribati's 408,000 km2 Phoenix Islands Protected Area was the first large scale MPA declared, which in turn inspired the announcement of the Cook Islands MPA, and the New Caledonian Coral Sea MPA.
The New Caledonian Coral Sea MPA encompasses the country's entire 1.4 million hectare Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ, more than twice the size of France, which includes the world's largest lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, established in 2008. This MPA is the first contribution to the Pacific Oceanscape by a Melanesian country or a French overseas territory.
The Cook Islands Marine Park encompasses 1.1 million square kilometers of ocean and island ecosystems in the Southern Cook Islands region and at the time of its announcement was the world's largest declared Marine Park and a major addition to the Pacific Oceanscape – CI Release/SPREP
The Governments of New Caledonia and the Cook Islands have signed a sister-sites agreement between their large-scale marine protected areas.
The agreement was made to coordinate their efforts in the sustainable management of their marine areas, which together total 2.5 million km2.
New Caledonia plans to share its experience in the field of trans-disciplinary and multi-sectoral scientific exploration. The Cook Islands will bring their expertise in the field of integrated marine governance, both at community and national levels.
"We are extremely pleased to formalise a sister site agreement with New Caledonia, given our common interest in ensuring that we are responsible stewards of our marine environment. It is my hope that opportunities for the use, enjoyment and access of benefits from both sister sites are equitable for present and future generations," said the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hon. Henry Puna.
The official signing follows the announced intentions of these governments to establish a sister-sites agreement in September 2012 at the 23th Conference of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
"We congratulate this agreement between the Cook Islands and New Caledonia, two of our SPREP members, for their joint initiative that will support a more sustainable marine environment for the Pacific," said Mr. David Sheppard, Director-General of SPREP.
This cooperative agreement was inspired by the model established between the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and the Phoenix Islands Protected (PIPA) area in Kiribati, signed in 2006. The duplication of this model was facilitated by the Big Ocean Network, which brings together the managers of large marine protected areas of over 200,000 km2.
"Conservation International has been working closely with both governments to assist in the development of these monumental marine protected areas under the Pacific Oceanscape. We believe that this official agreement will provide excellent ongoing benefits to all stakeholders, from local communities, right up to the economies of these societies, and strengthen the conservation of the beautiful and unique marine environments that they are stewards of," said Jean-Christophe Lefeuvre, Conservation International New Caledonia Program Director.
The Pacific Oceanscape Initiative, endorsed by 22 Pacific island countries and territories, pursues the ambitious goal of sustainably developing, managing and conserving nearly 40 million km2 (10% of the oceans on Earth). This initiative is intended to foster stewardship at scale – local, national, regional and international – to ensure health and well-being of Pacific Island peoples and their ocean.
Under the Pacific Oceanscape, Kiribati's 408,000 km2 Phoenix Islands Protected Area was the first large scale MPA declared, which in turn inspired the announcement of the Cook Islands MPA, and the New Caledonian Coral Sea MPA.
The New Caledonian Coral Sea MPA encompasses the country's entire 1.4 million hectare Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ, more than twice the size of France, which includes the world's largest lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, established in 2008. This MPA is the first contribution to the Pacific Oceanscape by a Melanesian country or a French overseas territory.
The Cook Islands Marine Park encompasses 1.1 million square kilometers of ocean and island ecosystems in the Southern Cook Islands region and at the time of its announcement was the world's largest declared Marine Park and a major addition to the Pacific Oceanscape – CI Release/SPREP