PNG and Indonesian Government officials visit Solomon Islands to progress marine turtle conservation
a cooperative approach
Government delegations from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have travelled to Solomon Islands this week to continue progress towards a tri-national agreement on the conservation and management of the critically endangered leatherback turtle.
Following the first preparatory committee meeting in Port Moresby in October last year, when an Expression of Commitment on Western Pacific leatherback turtle conservation was first announced, the Solomon Islands Government hosted a second meeting from 21-23 February 2006.
Representatives from the three governments, NGOs, regional organisations and community based groups are meeting to discuss the status of the agreement and to develop implementation frameworks to support the agreement once it is finalised.
In welcoming meeting delegates, newly appointed Minister for the Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation, Hon Mathias Taro said, “This meeting will discuss the formalities of the Tri-nations Statement and the next steps to make it a reality.”
“It is an opportunity for the three countries to develop practical strategic actions to address one of the most pressing issues of common concern in the Bismarck Solomon Seas ecoregion – the survival of the Western Pacific leatherback turtle population.”
“Although increased effort will still be required to tangibly realise it, my government considers the initiative as timely and hence will pursue all possible avenues to make it come to fruition in the Solomon Islands”.
According to Minister Taro, the Bismarck Solomon Seas is an important area for the world’s fish and coral species with extensive Western Pacific leatherback nesting beaches.
“Therefore, it is imperative the three countries concerned cooperate to arrest and reverse the decline in the remaining leatherback turtle numbers in the Western Pacific,”
- Hon Mathias Taro, Minister for the Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation
The three day meeting is being hosted and facilitated by the Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation in collaboration with WWF through a grant from the European Commission.
It is expected to produce a national implementation framework and a regional and international coordination and collaboration framework to support the tri-national agreement.
Also, the process for establishing a steering committee with representatives from the three countries will be explored and terms of reference for its operation developed.
It is expected the third and final tri-national preparatory meeting will be hosted by the Indonesia Government in April at which time finalisation of the agreement is anticipated.
The non-legal binding tri-national partnership agreement was developed by government representatives from Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Islands, WWF and partners at the first preparatory meeting in Port Moresby in October last year. The meeting was hosted and facilitated by Department of Environment and Conservation, Papua New Guinea.
The tri-national partnership covers approximately 2.5 million sq km of coastal areas and waters of the Bismarck Solomon Seas with specific attention to inter-nesting areas, migratory routes and nesting beaches.
The Bismarck Solomon Seas Ecoregion (BSSE) is also known as the “Western Indo Pacific cradle of biodiversity” and stretches from the Vogelkop (Doberai) Peninsula of Papua, Indonesia across the Admiralty and Bismarck archipelagos of Papua New Guinea to Makira Island of the Solomon Islands.
Although the agreement focuses on leatherback turtles, provisions have been made which recognise other migratory species and habitats within the BSSE.
In addition to the relevant government agencies and departments and communities in the three countries, key organisation plans and policies that would contribute to the partnership implementation framework include those of the Secretariat for Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council (WPRFMC), NOAA Fisheries Management Services, Indian Ocean and South East Asia Memorandum on Turtles (IOSEA), Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Media Contacts:
- Mr Steve Likaveke, PS for the Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation;
- Mr Joe Horokou, Director Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation
- Mr Tia Masolo, Conservation Officer, Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation
Phone: +677 28808 or +677 28611
or
- Ms Doreen Linga, Communications Officer, WWF Solomon Islands
- Mr John Pita, BSSE Coordinator, WWF Solomon Islands
Phone: 28023 or by email