Island and Ocean Ecosystems
Palau has won the 2012 Future Policy Gold Award for their Protected Areas Network Act 2003 and their Shark Haven Act, 2009.
A member of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Palau was selected as the Gold Award winner out of 31 policies that were nominated from 22 countries.
The island nation is recognised for their policies that engage local communities and traditional management systems of natural resources and for taking the global lead with others to counteract the dramatic decline in shark populations.
The island nation is recognised for their policies that engage local communities and traditional management systems of natural resources and for taking the global lead with others to counteract the dramatic decline in shark populations.
Since 2009, the World Future Council selects a topic requiring urgent policy on an annual basis then invites nominations followed by an evaluation process involving experts and renowned partner organisations. An expert jury decides which policies are awarded the Future Policy Award in the categories of Gold, Silver and Honourable Mentions.
“With the Future Policy Award we want to cast a spotlight on policies that lead by example. The aim of the World Future Council is to raise awareness for exemplary policies and speed up policy action towards just, sustainable and peaceful societies,” comments Alexandra Wandel, Director of the World Future Council, an international policy research organisation that provides decision-makers with effective policy solutions.
This year the award highlights policies that contribute to the sustainable management of the world’s oceans and coastal resources whilst tackling the loss of marine and coastal biodiversity.
“The Protected Areas Network Act and the Shark Haven Act in Palau are excellent examples of the Pacific taking the global lead in Nature conservation,” said the Director-General of SPREP, Mr. David Sheppard.
“Palau has reached monumental milestones this year with the Rock Island Southern Lagoon in Palau inscribed on the World Heritage List; and now this. We congratulate Palau and look forward to years of working together to strengthen the natural resources of the region. When one of our Pacific families is successful in conserving resources, we are all successful.”
Palau has over 30 designated protected areas, with a strengthened role of local communities to manage these through traditional methods with added financial, technical and institutional support from the government through the Protected Areas Network Act.
Marine Protected Area, Chelbacheb, Palau
Photo by Stuart Chape
Photo by Stuart Chape
In the Pacific, Palau and Samoa are strengthening shark conservation efforts through their sanctuaries in an effort to combat the estimated 73 million sharks killed annually. Palau's 2009 Shark Haven Act protects over a hundred species of open water and reef sharks. The Palauan government has taken strong action, banning commercial fishing of shark species in its entire territorial waters. A number of other countries including Honduras, the Maldives and the Bahamas have since enacted similar laws and banned shark fishing in their national waters.
Winners of the Silver category of the 2012 Future Policy Award are The Philippines’ Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act 2010 and Namibia’s Marine Resources Act 2000. Those that received Honourable Mentions are South Africa’s Integrated Coastal Management Act 2008 and California’s Ocean Protection Act 2004.
Palau will receive their award with a special ceremony during the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India from 8 to 19 October.