5 August 2021, Apia, Samoa – The signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Conservation of Cetaceans and their Habitats in the Pacific Islands, an instrument formed to provide an international framework for coordinated conservation efforts to conserve Pacific cetaceans and their habitats, including their migratory corridors, is holding their fourth meeting virtually this week.
The MOU was negotiated by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and came into effect on 12 September 2006. It remains open for signatures indefinitely. The first signatories in 2006 were Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna), Federated States of Micronesia, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, and Vanuatu. The USA signed most recently following the last meeting of signatories in 2012.
Cetaceans are an entirely aquatic order of mammals comprising of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Some species migrate over large distances, connecting ocean ecosystems and cultures throughout the Pacific islands region. During the last century, many larger whale species became endangered due to commercial whaling.
The survival of many cetacean populations that frequent the waters of the Pacific islands region, particularly those that have been severely depleted, can be affected by interactions with fisheries, hunting, pollution, collisions with boats, noise, habitat degradation, climate change and other issues. The MOU’s Action Plan addresses these and other threats to cetaceans in the region.
SPREP Director General, Mr Kosi Latu, officially opened the Fourth Meeting of the Signatories to the MOU virtually from the SPREP Campus in Apia.
“Here in the Pacific, we live in difficult times, faced with a range of threats to both ourselves and our environment. The same is true for our marine wildlife, and SPREP is committed to supporting all its members who want to protect whales and dolphins. Cetaceans are amongst the most iconic and culturally important animals in the Pacific, and feature widely in the art and folklore of SPREP Members,” Mr Latu said.
“The CMS framework and the Pacific Islands Cetacean MOU is a key mechanism for ensuring the conservation of whales and dolphins in our region. Here in the Pacific Islands, which covers over 10% of the planet’s oceans, we must take responsibility for ensuring implementation of the Action Plan. Many of the problems faced by our whales and dolphins are seen all over the world, but our approach to them is uniquely Pacific,” he added.
Prior to this meeting, a series of meetings to discuss the Regional Marine Species Programme were held over the last two weeks, culminating in the Whale and Dolphin Action Plan Meeting on Tuesday this week. The meeting heard and discussed the key issues facing Pacific whales and dolphins.
“Key threats facing our cetaceans in the region are fisheries by-catch in both industrial and local fisheries, including from interactions with discarded fishing gear, as well as direct take (hunting) and pollution, including the unknown potential future impacts from Deep Sea Mining. Our migratory whales also now face increasing threats from climate change particularly to their krill food supply in Antarctica, which could have far-reaching consequences for their recovery from whaling,” Mr Latu said.
“I am looking forward to two days of well-informed debate and discussion on the way forward to address these issues, and offer our grateful thanks to the many contributors and presenters – the sharing of your knowledge will held us all to identify the best way forward in a post-COVID world,” he concluded.
The two-day meeting was jointly organised by the CMS Secretariat and SPREP, and was attended by more than 70 participants who are representatives of the signatories, as well as observers.
For more information, please contact Ms Karen Baird, SPREP Threatened and Migratory Species Adviser, at [email protected].