Coral Triangle meet to discuss conservation strategy
Updated
A meeting this week in Solomon Islands seeks to find ways to preserve the reefs in the Coral Triangle within the territories of six countries - Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Solomon Islands. The Coral Triangle is the world's richest marine area, containing 76 per cent of all known coral species, 37 per cent of all known coral reef fish species and 53 per cent of the world's coral reefs.
Senior officials from the six countries will discuss progress towards safeguarding its future. Representing Solmon Islands is the Minister for Environment, Conservation and Meteorology and chair of the meeting, Gordon Darcy Lilo.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Gordon Darcy Lilo, Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Conservation and Meteorology and chair of this week's Coral Triangle Initiative ministers' meeting
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LILO: We're working towards better conservation program so as to protect the vast depleting situation of this Coral Triangle, so that would be the focus of this meeting.
COUTTS: So what's causing the depletion of the Triangle?
LILO: Well with the study that we've carried out it is basically attributed to the increasing population, the over-fishing and unsustainable fishing practices that have been carried out in these areas. And the march of the industrial activities that is happening on the terrestrial side that is causing a lot of erosion into the coral reefs that is posing a lot of threats to the coral reefs in these areas.
COUTTS: So it's a lot of countries, six countries, and the Pacific works on consensus, do you think that you're going to get any kind of consensus on the way forward to protect the Coral Triangle?
LILO: Well I believe in this spirit of cooperation that has been established by these six countries. You know that earlier this year the leaders of the six countries have signed an agreement to cooperate in saving this Coral Triangle. And it has been going on very well. But prior to that there has been various work done at the officials level. And I believe that the cooperation that we have established so far has worked out very well with the kind of support from donors that have been indicated and then confirmed to support the initiative to move forward. I do believe that we will be able to have a good program to move ahead in conserving this particular Coral Triangle.
COUTTS: Well what are the immediate needs? What will this meeting need to do to make sure that it is preserved from this day on? Will you have fishing quotas for instance?
LILO: Yes, I mean the whole idea is basically to come up with some kind of sea-scaping arrangement in the way that they encompass in this Coral Triangle allow the fishing rights to fishing companies that have interest in fishing in this area. So we know exactly that the kind of quota that is allocated to fishing companies that are fishing in these areas is known and well within the quota that will be determined by each country. At the same time we will be recommending the techniques or the practices of fishing that they will have. But as you know it is always difficult to control it. We are also having difficulty monitoring and surveying our own fishing waters, and especially from these distance fishing nations. But nonetheless what we are trying to do will be a very vigorous effort and an effort that will be reflected in the way that we will be licensed, you know fishing companies to fish in our waters to ensure they concentrate on areas, areas that are considered to be acceptable for purposes of fishing, and that it does not pose threat to the abundancy of fish stocks in these waters.
COUTTS: Well the Coral Triangle is a principle source of income and exports for most of the countries in the Triangle. Are there alternatives that fisher people should be encouraged to take up rather than to continue to get their livelihood from fishing?
LILO: Yeah of course, that is the whole purpose of it. If we maintain the pristine nature of this environment, especially of this coral to be able to attract investment in the areas of tourism for instance, that would be an alternate income source for the people. And as you know the growth of the tourism industry in this part of the world is known to have happened, and we are located in this part of this area of the Pacific, areas that are known to be a good area or attraction for tourism destination. And if we carry out a sustainable conservation program that will be able to protect these coral reefs for purpose of attraction for tourism, I believe that in a way will be a good source of income for people rather than just concentrating on the fishing side.
COUTTS: What about climate change because it's devastating reefs off Australia with coral bleaching and the like, is there evidence of that in the Coral Triangle as well?
LILO: Absolutely, absolutely, as you know there are islands, communities in the compass of the six Triangle that are very much affected by climate change, and the climate change agenda is high on the overall theme of this Coral Triangle initiative plan of action. In islands that are dependent on coral reefs for their livelihoods are now being affected as a result of the climate change - seas rising and it is posing real threats on the existence of some of these coral species. So that is very much high on our agenda, and we are hoping to come out with a communique on, a climate change communique that we hope to present at the forthcoming meeting in Copenhagen.
