Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

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Marine & Terrestrial Pollution

Marine Pollution is recognised as one of the four main threats to the world's oceans. Shipping is a significant source of marine pollution which has been to date the main focus of SPREP's Pacific Oceans Pollution Prevention Programme (PACPOL) Strategy 2010-2014 developed in partnership with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and approved at the 20th SPREP Meeting in Apia November 2009.

"The Pacific islands maintain resource access rights and management responsibilities over 30 million square kilometres of ocean - equivalent to the combined land areas of Canada, China and the USA. The total population of the Pacific islands is only 6.7 million people, and only 2.6 million if the largely inland population of Papua New Guinea is excluded. There are at least 11 square kilometres of ocean for each and every Pacific Islander. Jurisdictionally, the sea is nearly 200 times more significant to the average Pacific islander than it is to the average global citizen" (Adams et al 1995 "Research on Fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region" ). This quote encapsulates the paramount importance of the oceans and its resources to pacific island countries and territories (PICTs). For many PICTs the ocean is their only significant natural resource and the good governance and sustainable management of their ocean resources is the key to their economic and social well-being.

At the global level recent marine spill incidents and the new threat of invasive marine species continue to highlight the need to address the environmental impacts of shipping. PICTs need assistance in addressing their obligations under recent IMO legal instruments such as the Convention on Anti-fouling Systems; Protocol on Hazardous and Noxious Substances; Bunkers Convention and most recently the Ballast Water Convention and the Ship Wreck Removal Convention.