Statement by David Sheppard, Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Today, 8th of June, 2011 we celebrate World Oceans Day.
Let's reflect today on the value of Oceans to our people, our islands and our planet.
In the Pacific we are islands scattered, yet united and defined by our peaceful Ocean.
The Pacific Ocean covers 35% of the Earth's Surface. It is our lifeblood with the majority of Pacific communities living close to the sea. Pacific communities have always had a close relationship with our Ocean. Coastal marine resources provide our food and support our economic development.
Marine Protected Area, Chelbacheb, Palau
© S. Chape / SPREP
The Pacific Ocean is home to many large marine animals such as cetaceans (whales and dolphins), dugongs and marine turtles. These play a significant role in the health and functioning of our coasts and ocean, and are flagship species for Pacific marine ecosystems.
Did you know that over half of the world's known species of cetaceans and six of the seven known marine turtle species occur in the region? The Pacific supports the world's largest remaining populations of dugongs, as well as important populations of green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles.
The Pacific Ocean and its marine animals feature prominently in promotional material for Pacific tourism. There are millions of visitors to enjoy our beautiful Ocean vistas and beaches each year.
Our Ocean inspires Pacific cultures and is rooted deeply in Pacific history as it carried ancestors from island to island over years of voyaging. This cultural strength and identity is being resurrected with activities such as the Vaka Project, encouraging building of authentic Polynesian canoes and Vaka sailing voyages across the Pacific.
Many Pacific Island cultures have legends and traditional uses of marine mammals and turtles. Dugong bone and the teeth of small cetaceans have been important in certain ceremonies such as marriages and funerals.
On this World's Ocean Day, we acknowledge the many threats that are eroding the integrity of the Pacific Ocean - pollution, marine invasive species, extreme climatic events such as cyclones and elevated sea surface temperatures to over-fishing and destructive fishing.
We need to ask the question – how much more can our Ocean take?
Many marine species in the pacific are also threatened. While humpback whales in many parts of the world are showing signs of recovery from past whaling, most of the small breeding populations in the South Pacific remain at extremely low levels.
Of the six species of marine turtles that occur in the Pacific, two are listed as critically endangered, and three as endangered.
Most of these marine species have distribution and migratory pathways that extend across and beyond international boundaries. Pacific Island countries have a shared responsibility to ensure the recovery and maintenance of viable populations of these marine animals.
Threats to the survival of these marine animals include unsustainable harvesting incidental by-catch in fisheries, habitat degradation, climate change, boat strikes, and pollution including marine debris.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is dedicated to supporting Pacific country efforts to address these threats through measures such as:
- reducing pollution through improved waste treatment and ballast water management;
- conserving marine species and working with communities through approaches such as locally managed marine areas to ease fishing pressures;
- implementing a regional marine species programme which focuses on dugongs, marine turtles and cetaceans (whales and dolphins)
- assisting countries to adapt to climate change through the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) project.
Better partnerships are essential for the future of our Pacific Ocean.
The Pacific Oceanscape initiative has been endorsed by leaders of Pacific island countries. This initiative unites actions for good ocean governance and management in order to protect, manage, maintain and sustain the cultural and natural integrity of the Pacific Ocean for future generations and indeed for humanity.
Efforts by Pacific island countries and territories to protect their marine and ocean environments, including through establish nation-wide marine sanctuaries, should be expanded and encouraged.
Despite these positive initiatives many challenges remain for the Pacific Ocean and we all need to work together to protect our ocean and better manage our marine resources.
The value of the Pacific Ocean is priceless, but at what cost and when will we realise this?
So today, World Oceans day, let's celebrate and honor our Pacific Ocean – a medium that unite us all!