Christmas Issue - December 2007 SPREP Monthly Highlights

As we approach the end of 2007 and embark upon a New Year we reflect back on achievements and highlights for the Programme Staff of SPREP in 2007. Part of this issue of comes from the Programme staff of SPREP themselves, and part of this issue has been written from interviews with the Programme staff that have looked back over 2007.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Seve Paeniu
Sustainable Development Adviser

“SPREP continues to take a leading role on sustainable development issues in the Pacific and providing advice on internationally agreed development goals and targets, including the Millennium Development Goals. This support work has involved providing Pacific briefings for the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) as well as providing inputs to guide the environmental and sustainable development priorities under the Pacific Plan for 2008. To operationalise the various commitments with respect to these international and regional sustainable development initiatives, SPREP along with relevant Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies have begun to undertake an integrated country focused CROP partnership approach. The aim is to strengthen national sustainable development based decision-making process to facilitate effective and coordinated use of national and development partner resources to meet priority national development goals.

Photo L - R: Seve Paeniu planting a tree during the ‘Play it clean and green’ campaign, Peter Murgatroyd during PEIN training at SPREP

Peter Murgatroyd
Information Resource Centre Manager

In January Peter Murgatroyd, replaced Satui Bentin as Pacific Environment Information Network (PEIN) Coordinator and along with the SPREP Assistant Librarian, Miraneta Williams-Hazelman, embarked on an ambitious 2007 programme.

Upgrading of the PEIN database and website in March laid the foundation for the provision of digital access to more than 600 Pacific environment documents, and the introduction of a raft of new online resources including: the PEIN Country Profiles Directory, the PEIN Regional Frameworks and Strategies Directory, the PEIN Digest of Pacific environment news and developments, and the creation of a regional PEIN virtual library comprising full text documents from SPREP, SOPAC, SPC and other CROP agencies, Pacific environment departments, regional institutions and NGOs active in the area of environment conservation.

Whilst access to online resources received a major boost in 2007, capacity building of PEIN partners in the critical area of library and information management, remains a core component of the PEIN project and 2007 was again a busy year. Computer equipment was dispatched to the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Fiji and Tuvalu. Installations and upgrades of library software and databases were undertaken in Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Cook Islands.

In October PEIN partners from Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu participated in a regional training workshop in library and information management. Peter and Miraneta will enjoy their hard earned break over the Christmas period but are looking forward towards another busy year in 2008 with a range of new PEIN resources already in the pipeline.

*The PEIN project is funded by the European Union

Tepa Suaesi
Environment Officer

Began with SPREP in May

“I was charged with two reviews – ‘Approaches to the State of the Environment’ and the ‘Status of Environmental (SoE) Impact Assessments (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) - in the region’. Preliminary findings on the first study on SoE was presented in the 18th SPREP Meeting in Apia, Samoa in September and in the 8th Pacific Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Alotau, Papua New Guinea in October. For the second study its terms of reference was completed in July and is ready for the recruitment of a competent consultant to implement it at the beginning of 2008. For the SoE study I visited Fiji and Kiribati in July and August respectively and conducted consultations with wide audiences of governmental and non-governmental technical experts and administrators who are involved in one way or another with environmental management in the region.

I also completed the Trainers course in Thailand on the UNEP's Global Environment Outlook's Integrated Environment Assessment and Reporting Process in July. Finally I organised in collaboration with UNEP and SPREP staff the Pacific regional launching of the UNEP's Fourth Global Environment Outlook Report (GEO-4) that was held in Alotau as part of the 8th Pacific Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas. GEO-4 is the latest information on the changes in the state of the global environment since the last five years.

I also helped recruit participants from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, FSM, and Tuvalu for a Pacific representation in the International Conference on Impact Assessments titled 'The Art & Science of Impact Assessment' that will be held in Australia in 2008. This initiative is in collaboration with Australia's Department of the Environment and Water Resources (AusDEW). In addition to that I've also started joint work in DEW for the trial of a consolidated national reporting template to biodiversity related Multi-lateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) with AusDEW that was approved in the 18th SPREP Meeting.”

Photo L – R: Tepa Suaesi plants a tree with the former Miss South Pacific, Nirupa Ram and John Talagi the Niue Environment Officer

Nirupa Ram
Associate Ozone Depleting Substance Officer

The four main achievement for Nirupa in 2007 were –

1. Completion of Customs Training in the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Niue.

2. Passing of Ozone protection legislation and similar policies in Niue and the Solomon Islands.

3. Improving the delivery of services to Pacific islands countries and territories through legal advice and technical assistance

4. SPREP went with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on a special mission to Vanuatu in April this year to facilitate their work in implementing the Montreal Protocol.

Espen Ronneberg
Climate Change Adviser

In November the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) convened a preparatory meeting in St Kitts and Nevis (8-10 November) for the Bali Climate Change Conference. SPREP, through the Climate Change Adviser (CCA) took advantage of the gathering of so many Pacific climate change experts to convene a Pacific consultation on the 7th of November, to discuss the action plan for Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change (PIFACC) and needs and concerns of Pacific Islands Countries (PIC) for the Bali Conference. SPREP was able to finance an additional delegate from each PIC. The AOSIS meeting prepared a comprehensive draft on common positions for Bali. SPREP was requested to provide a comprehensive background note on regional activities on climate change that could be utilised in discussions of issues of key importance to PIC’s in Bali. The action plan for PIFACC was also significantly revised.

In late November, SPREP’s Climate Change Adaptation Officer and CCA traveled to Bali to attend the ‘Expert Group on Technology Transfer’ meeting and the ‘Adaptation Fund’ consultations. A series of preparatory meetings preceded the Conference itself that ran from the 3rd to the 14th of December, with an unexpected overflow into the 15th. The PIC group participated actively through the AOSIS, and was able to achieve significant gains. The Pacific had very good representation and was very active and vocal, they were successful in getting a hearing for their climate change concerns. The Pacific group negotiated actively through the Alliance of Small Island States. Together they were instrumental in getting the ‘Adaptation fund’ launched with good participation in and access by Small Island States. They also ensured that the future negotiations on long-term commitments be based on the best available science. Through their active participation they also ensured that meaningful decisions were reached on technology transfer, capacity building and research and science.

Photos L – R: Espen Ronneberg makes a presentation at the first Environmental Hub Meeting, WHO Health Care Waste Management Workshop at SPREP

Waste Management Division

Their highlights can be read in the Waste Update e-newsletter which can be downloaded from the Waste page or click here. Other highlights for the ‘Waste team’ are;

• The development and distribution of the “Rubbish is a Resource” DVD kit
• 3 in-country workshops convened to develop national waste management strategies and proposals for landfill upgrading
• Samoa being assisted with the development of a unitary set of laws for the management of waste (and may also include chemical management)
• Pacific regional awareness raising workshop on the SAICM process conducted
• World Health Organisation Health Care Waste Management Training held in Samoa

Dean Solofa
Pacific Islands Global Climate Observing System

This year the Cook Islands hosted the 12th Regional Meteorological Service Directors Meeting, (see photo below) Dean Solofa, played a coordinating role in the Conference. More PI-GCOS highlights and achievements can be found in their newsletter www.PI-GCOS.org

Clark Peteru
Environment Legal Adviser

SPREP’s Environmental Legal Advisor, Clark Peteru, was involved in several legal meetings this year.

The Samoa National Workshop on Regulation and Management of Waste in Samoa introduced participants to international, regional and national legal frameworks relevant to waste management with illustrations of waste projects currently being implemented in the country. The workshop proposed comprehensive management of the different types of waste in Samoa ideally through a single law.

Clark participated in 3 related workshops in Nadi in June on intellectual property rights (IPR) relating to biological traditional knowledge. Benefits, including money, can be derived from the use of such knowledge highlighting the need for legal protection. The workshop discussed a work plan for 2008 as well as proposing the establishment of a regional institution specifically for protecting traditional knowledge relating to biodiversity and culture.

He also attended the 26th Pacific Islands Legal Officers Meeting (PILOM) in Rarotonga, where a change of name to the Pacific Islands Legal Officers Network (PILON) was approved. The meeting formalised the status of PILON and expressed the view that as the annual meeting of the region’s senior law officers it should be more proactive in advising on pressing regional legal issues.

Photos L – R: Ruth Towa Pune in red at the Alotau airport for the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, Clark Peteru attending the 8th Pacific Island Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas.

Ruth Towa Pune
8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas coordinator

Ruth participated in the Pacific Future Environmental Leadership Forum that was hosted by SPREP in April this year and the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Workshop for Pacific Least Developed Countries held in May. She was also very active in the Environmental Awareness Activities such as Tree Planting, and her biggest achievement for this year, is the 8th Pacific Island Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas that took place in Papua New Guinea, where she worked on the Coordination and Implementation of the conference activities.

The forum has helped Ruth understand many things such as, the amount of work spent on drafting climate adaptation measures for Pacific Island Countries.

She’s grateful for the knowledge gained on biodiversity negotiations during the Conference of the Parties (COP), and enjoyed networking with young environmentalists of the Pacific, the value of working with young minds and building their capacity for future environment work in the region.

Jill Key
Coordinator of the Pacific Invasives Learning Network (PILN)

Jill Key coordinates the Pacific Invasive Learning Network (PILN), based at SPREP. PILN has been very active this year, the 2007 annual meeting the network was held in September, hosted by the government of French Polynesia.

A total of 65 people from 13 countries, states and territories participated in a 5 day workshop to share knowledge and experience, develop lessons learned in invasive species management and identify their capacity building needs for the year ahead.

In addition to the 2007 annual meeting the network also held various capacity building workshops for invasive species workers in the region.

The first regional Marine Invasive Species workshop was held here in Samoa in March, a direct outcome of the 2006 annual meeting when network participants specifically requested that the network address this important issue of regional concern. 20 participants from 9 countries, states and territories participated. Following on from this, a training event was then held in Palau on marine invasive species assessments, during which the Palau Marine Invasive Species Task Team was created.

Another workshop held at the request of the PILN participants was to build capacity in social marketing, and 19 people from 8 countries spent 3 days developing their skills on public awareness in a workshop held in September in French Polynesia after the annual meeting. In addition, the first multi agency workshop was held in Fiji, hosted by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, with the aim of identifying opportunities for collaboration within Fiji on invasive species work. This is seen as the first step towards the development of a national coordination committee.

For Dr Key, the main achievement of PILN for this year was the advances made in the invasive species strategic action planning process. Multi-agency and sector committees in 6 countries and states have drafted strategic action plans by identifying the invasive species priorities and developing a realistic collaborative “road map” to tackle them. 3 have received official endorsement.

Photos L – R: Jill Key in Alotau for the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, Alan Tye showing locals photos during the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas.

Alan Tye
Invasives Species Officer

Alan Tye started working for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as the Invasive Species Officer in July this year.

His main achievement for this year was continuing the work on the Regional Invasive Species Strategy. This strategy will be his main task for the next few months, so that it will hopefully be ready to present to the SPREP meeting for endorsement early next year.

He is also working on better integrating the work that SPREP, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Invasives Learning Network (PILN) and Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII) do on invasive species in the region.

Another major and continuing effort has been to bring together proposals for elements of an invasive species project to be funded under the GEF Pacific Alliance for Sustainability programme.

Ana Tiraa
Island Biodiversity Officer

For Ana Tiraa, Island Biodiversity Officer for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), her main highlights would be the region’s Premier conservation conference, the 8th Nature Conservation and Protected Areas that was held in Papua New Guinea in October this year. Within the conference there were a number of side events and she was part of a team that organised 4 of them.

The 1st event was the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) Meeting, which was a 1 day event, held on the 18th of October. The meeting was to decide a theme for a 3 day NBSAP workshop planned for next year. The side event was conducted jointly by SPREP and the Secretariat of the Convention of Biological Diversity (SCBD).

The 2nd event was the 1 day bird meeting held on the 19th of October. Birdlife International, the Bird Roundtable working group and SPREP jointly conducted it. The purpose of the meeting was to review the conservation status of Pacific birds.

Another side event was the Ecosystem Approach. The event consisted of 3 case studies by representatives from WWF South Pacific, FSM and Australia. In addition, the SCBD provided an overview on the ecosystem approach.

The last event was ‘Updating the IUCN Red List’. SPREP and Conservation International jointly presented this event. The event consisted of presentations on results of 2 past workshops that identified important species and a case study on red listing Galapagos plants. A proposal to instigate work on red listing species in the Pacific Islands was also discussed.

According to Ms Tiraa the conference was an awesome experience. The side events and conference revealed there is a lot of good conservation work going out there, especially at the grass roots. “This year has been really amazing.”

Photos L – R: Ana Tiraa at the Capacity Building Training on the Convention on Biological Diversity at SPREP in May this year, Lui Bell (on the left) in Tuvalu.

Lui Bell
Marine Species Officer

One of the main achievements of the Marine Species Programme (MSP) during the year was the region-wide revision of the Marine Species Action Plans for the next 5 years, 2008-2012. The revised action plans were subsequently endorsed by the SPREP meeting in Apia, September 2007.

In an effort to improve data and information on marine turtles in the region, turtle nesting monitoring programmes were initiated in 3 member countries during the year. Lui Bell, Marine Species Officer for SPREP traveled to Tonga, Tuvalu and Kiribati for these activities, which included training for local counterparts and the conduct initial surveys. The assistance provided to countries also included the provision of basic equipment and training attachment for representatives from these countries to the Queensland Turtle Conservation Project, Mon Repos.

The turtle programme also included continuation of the turtle Satellite tagging as initiated in the 2006 Year of the Sea Turtle Campaign. A satellite tag mounted on a male turtle (Popora) in French Polynesia in November 2006 continued to transmit in 2007. The last transmission was dated in early April 2007 in Vanuatu waters. Within 5 months (153 days), Popora had crossed the EEZs of 7 countries and territories and traveled a distance of 5428 kilometers across the Pacific. In November 2007, a satellite tag was mounted on a hawksbill nester on Moso Island, Vanuatu.

For cetaceans, SPREP supported the Preliminary assessment on the Impact of Whale-watching in Tonga as well as the Fiji National and Melanesian cetation workshops. 2 additional SPREP member countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding under the CMS for the conservation of whales and dolphins in the Pacific Islands Region during the year. The MoU was originally open for signing last year during the SPREP meeting in Noumea, New Caledonia where 9 members signed.

According to Bell, “This year has been very successful.”

Fa’fetai Lava for reading this E-Newsletter

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and an exciting New Year! SPREP Highlights will continue again in January 2008, see you then!

Please send your comments to SPREP or

by phone: (685) 21929, fax: (685) 20231 or mail: PO Box 240, Apia, Samoa.