BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Director General of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP), Noan Pakop, has called on Pacific nations for collective action to protect the region’s ocean, describing it as both “our identity and our lifeline”.
Speaking at the Second Pacific Islands Oceans Conference in Honiara, Pakop said the meeting came at a defining moment, as the world reaches the halfway point of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
“If we are to achieve the ocean we want, one that is healthy, resilient and productive, we must accelerate our actions, deepen our partnerships and strengthen our collective resolve,” he told delegates.
He cautioned that converging threats such as climate change, overfishing, marine pollution and biodiversity loss are jeopardising food security, livelihoods and ecosystems.
“Unity and coordinated regional action remain the Pacific’s greatest strength,” he said.
Highlighting regional achievements, Pakop pointed to French Polynesia’s creation of the world’s largest marine protected area and Vanuatu’s bold push to extend bans on bottom trawling as examples of Pacific leadership on the global stage.
“The small island developing states can lead with influence and impact, when united, resourceful and resilient,” he said.
The Director General also emphasised the collaborative role of CROP agencies, including SPC, FFA, SPREP, USP and OPOC, in combining science, policy and traditional knowledge to sustain Pacific fisheries, protect biodiversity and advance ocean governance.
He urges governments, civil society, the private sector, women and youth to work hand in hand.
“The ocean is everyone’s business. Our greatest legacy must be twofold; a thriving ocean and a generation of Pacific Islanders equipped with knowledge, skill and cultural wisdom to sustain it,” he said.
The conference, hosted by Solomon Islands, continues discussions on strengthening ocean science, governance and partnerships across the Pacific region.
Photo: Supplied
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