Palau Will Not Go Down Without A Fight, Says Remengesau UN HQ, New York City (PACNEWS/MV, Sept. 29, 2014) — The small island nation of Palau in the North Pacific has promised the international community in New York it will not go down without a fight. “Nor will the Pacific region, whose people comprehend first-hand the real and present impacts of climate change and whose oceans are becoming polluted and their fish stocks depleted, said Palauan President, Tommy Remengesau, Jr. He told the 69th United Nations General Assembly underway in New York that Small Island Developing States in the Pacific recognize that action must begin in their backyard. Most Pacific nations are doing just that! “In my country, in the next several months, we will formalize the creation of a national marine sanctuary which will include a complete prohibition on purse seine fishing that covers 100 percent of the EEZ; a no-take Marine Sanctuary that covers over 80 percent of the Palau EEZ; a highly regulated Fishing Zone that covers approximately 20 percent of the EEZ that will provide for only Palau’s domestic fishing needs; and a prohibition on commercial fish exports, said Remengesau. As chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional grouping of 16 nations in the Pacific, Palau has taken the lead in the global campaign for better management and conservation of ocean resources. “If we are to survive, we must continue to play a central role in the stewardship of one of the greatest endowments in the world—the Pacific Ocean. That is because, in our short lifetimes, we have experienced a dangerous combination of human impacts that threaten the foundation of our Pacific livelihoods. “We have called on the global community to support the efforts of Forum countries to sustainably use their Ocean resources and to conserve their valuable underwater heritage. “Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Palau, Republic of Marshall and the United States are currently in the process of declaring and establishing protected marine areas of different sizes and requirements to reverse the current trends of over-use and to ensure a healthy ocean for our children. “That is why we are committed to ensuring the launch of negotiations by September 2015 for an International Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction,” said the Palauan leader. Pacific Island Forum countries are urging the United Nations to ensure a stand-alone Sustainable Development Goal on Oceans. Remengesau used the opportunity to raise the concerns of Pacific countries on the too many goals in the draft post-2015 development agenda. Currently there are 17 potential goals. “The goals and targets must be realistic, practical, simple, transparent and measurable. Within this context, we must continue to focus on those vulnerable countries and those people most in need, Remengesau said.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:22:16 +0000
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