September 2007 SPREP Monthly Highlights

18th SPREP Meeting in Apia Samoa

The 18th SPREP Meeting was held from the 11th to the 14th of September in Apia, Samoa. It brought together the 25 member countries and territories and interested and collaborating organisations, agencies and bodies to discuss past achievements and the future path for SPREP.

The Prime Minister of Samoa the Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi opened the conference with words of support for the work done by SPREP to address the environmental pressures the Pacific region face.

"The SPREP is a 'Treaty organisation' and its evolution to this status was over a long period of time. The threats to our Pacific islands environment demanded the full time attention of a specialized environmental organisation. The environmental threats and challenges that confronted our region a decade and a half ago are still with us today and in certain areas have increased in volume and intensity," said Prime Minister Malielegaoi. "I believe that none of us here doubt the evidence that SPREP's work to protect and improve our environment since its formation has borne fruit and produced results."

As special guest of the Meeting, Madame Monique Barbut, the CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Secretariat also made a statement during the opening ceremony that outlined the 4 priority areas that the GEF funding of USD100 million for the Pacific, will go towards under the new GEF Pacific Alliance for Sustainability Programme.

"As GEF CEO, I hold to the belief that everyone is entitled to prosper on a living planet, now and in the generations to come. I invite you to wayfind with me on the journey ahead, and commit to the evolving GEF-Pacific Alliance for Sustainability."

The representative of Guam, Lorilee Crisostomo chaired the Meeting that endorsed the 2008 Annual Work Plan and Budget, the 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef and a 2008 Independent Corporate Review for SPREP. The 19th SPREP Meeting will be hosted by the Federated States of Micronesia.

For more information on the Working papers discussed at SPREP, click here. The final report of the 18th SPREP Meeting will be posted on the website.

SPREP Director - Asterio Takesy, Chair - Lorilee Crisostomo and Deputy Director - Vitolio Lui at the 18th SPREP Meeting.

2008 Pacific Year of the Reef endorsed at 18th SPREP Meeting

‘Strong reefs, strong islands’, is the slogan for the 2008 Pacific year of the Reef campaign. It will take on a Pacific perspective to the 2008 International Year of the Reef that has been announced by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).

The launch of the campaign will be made in October during the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Alotau, Papua New Guinea. An information session will be staged at the conference in order to gauge feedback and ideas from Pacific participants. The launch proper will be in February next year.

The last Pacific Year of the Reef was in 1997 at that time the main purpose was to raise awareness. In 2008 the main aim of the campaign is to encourage actions towards protecting our reef. For more information contact SPREP’s Coral Reef Management Officer Caroline Vieux.

SPREP and the IUCN The World Conservation Union, strengthen relations

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the IUCN – The World Conservation Union was signed during the 18th meeting of SPREP representatives.

There are a number of general undertakings in the MOU, which has the duration of 5 years. They range from extending standing invitations to each other at relevant meetings, to consultations on policy matters of mutual concern.

The cooperation between the organisations will also see them strive to prepare an annual joint workplan that will address activities of shared interest and concern. Subject to the availability of funding and if needed, IUCN will seek to place a temporary officer in SPREP to enhance capacity on a key programme identified in the joint workplan.

IUCN is a World-wide Union, which brings together 83 states, 110 government agencies, more than 800 NGOs and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries.

To read the full news item, click here.

Taholo Kami - Regional Director of Oceania IUCN with SPREP’s Director - Asterio Takesy

Review of approaches to environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting in the Pacific

The 18th SPREP Meeting endorsed a proposal by the Government of Australia to trial a simplified template for national reporting to all biodiversity multi lateral agreements in six countries of the region.

A review carried out by SPREP shows that environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting in the Pacific have been largely driven by global trends. Results also show there is a strong need for improvement as we move into the future. Environmental Officer Tepa Suaesi conducted a side event of the review during the 18th SPREP Meeting of officials in Apia.

'Review of approaches to environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting in the Pacific' looked at how these have developed in the region since 1980. The goal of the review was to help improve the way SPREP and its member countries monitor and report on the quality of environment and environmental management.

"Effective and regular monitoring, assessment and reporting help ground our policies and resources allocations on the latest information on the needs of our environment. The Pacific needs a lot of help in this area of resource management."

Seven strategies have been identified from this review to strengthen environmental monitoring, assessments and reporting. They range from identifying common sets of environmental data and indicators, to providing regular updates of vital environmental statistics for national and local planning purposes. For more information on this, contact SPREP's Environment Officer Tepa Suaesi.

Pacific Invasives Learning Network hold 2nd regional meeting

It was during the 2nd regional Pacific Islands Learning Network (PILN) conference that success stories were shared: rats have been eradicated from 2 small islands in Fiji that have endemic birds and frogs on the verge of extinction and Pohnpei eradicated feral pigeons to prevent them spreading human diseases and has 75% of the invasive false sakau under control.

Over 70 participants from 14 countries attended the 5-day meeting that reviewed the progress in the first year of PILN and identified new regional and country activities that help combat invasive species. Prevention was recognised as the cheapest way to protect the pacific against invasive species, along with the strengthening of quarantine systems. The Pacific Ant Prevention Plan was examined and PILN team members reconfirmed their commitment to keep dangerous ant species (such as the red imported fire ant) out of the Pacific or prevent them from spreading. The French Polynesian Department of Environment shared its experiences in fighting the little fire ant, while Palau reported their work to eradicate Singapore ants.

Work on marine species was less well advanced than terrestrial work, but a new programme for the Pacific was designed and will be put in place over the next year. The next network meeting of PILN will take place in 2009. For more information contact PILN Coordinator Jill Key.

Little Fire Ant control in Tahiti, French Polynesia. Photo courtesy of Joel Miles

SPREP hold session at PILN Meeting

‘Decision tools for invasive species control’ was a session coordinated by SPREP at the PILN meeting in Moorea. Weed risk assessment (WRA), eradication feasibility assessment and eradication costing were among the topics covered in the session run by SPREP's Invasive Species Officer, Dr Alan Tye.

"We are finalising a WRA system based on simple questions, which will put each invasive plant into 1 of 5 categories according to how invasive it is, and within each of the five groups, each species is given a score. When it comes to limited funds, this system helps identify not only the worst invasives but also the ones that are likely to cause problems in the future. This helps managers to select the species they can feasibly manage with the resources available."

The Galapagos Islands have already put 900 species into a computerised database that can be used by other island groups in the Pacific. Samoa has also started on this programme and Palau and French Polynesia have both shown interest in being the next countries to set up their own WRA systems. For more details contact SPREP’s Invasive Species Officer Alan Tye.

JICA Vice President visits SPREP

The Vice President of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr Yoshihisa Ueda paid a visit to SPREP, early September. It was an opportunity for Mr Ueda to be briefed of some of the activities that have come about through the relationship between JICA and SPREP.

Several of the staff from SPREP are volunteers and experts from JICA. JICA is also the agency responsible for the construction of the Training and Education Center (TEC) in SPREP, which houses the Information Technology department as well as the Communications, Media and Human Resource personnel.

During his visit, Mr Ueda was given a presentation on the achievements of the JICA and SPREP relationship, as well as a discussion on the future direction this may take.

SPREP staff in a photo opportunity with JICA representatives. Note: The Vice President of JICA Mr Yoshihisa Ueda is standing in front wearing a green shirt and holding the blue bag.

Marine Pollution and the Noumea Convention

Tonga and Papua New Guinea underwent Marine Pollution workshops this month attended by SPREP’s Marine Pollution Adviser Anthony Talouli. The workshops were to assist the countries in their ability to respond to any spills or pollution caused by oil or hazardous and noxious substances (HNS).

His visits were part of the SPREP-International Marine Organisation (IMO) work programme for 2007, which is to assist and promote ratification and implementation of the Noumea Convention. The Convention comes under an International agreement the Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC).

The workshops in Tonga and Papua New Guinea included a preliminary meeting to discuss and finalise how to go about a workshop on Marine Pollution, facilitate a National training workshop and then a follow up meeting to present the revised National plan and action plan.

Pacific islands countries are to put in place legislation, (model legislation, the Marine Pollution Prevention Act was developed by SPREP and SPC for countries), have the necessary equipment and carry out workshops and training to meet requirements under OPRC.

Another component to Talouli’s travels to Tonga and Papua New Guinea cover the National Plan, which is a contingency plan to prepare or respond for oil spills. A model plan was designed by SPREP and given to countries in 2000. The draft National Plan for Marine Pollution is in the final stages for national endorsement in Tonga, but remains a working document for other Pacific islands countries until all parties involved are satisfied their revised draft plans can be ready for endorsement to become official. For more information contact SPREP’s Marine Pollution Adviser Anthony Talouli.

SPREP’s Marine Pollution Adviser Anthony Talouli facilitating a marine pollution drill during a workshop in Tonga. Photo courtesy of Anthony Talouli.

Update on the logistics of the 8th Pacific Island Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas

The people of Alotau and the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) have been working hard as hosts of the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas to ensure that it is a memorable and successful event. The people of Milne Bay are often described as the ‘Friendliest people on earth’ and it is the first time for them to host a regional event. SPREP is coordinating the Conference with the host, the Government of PNG.

By the end of September approximately 340 people had registered for the conference and registrations were still coming in. Sir Paulias Matane, the Governer General of Papua New Guinea has been confirmed to open the conference that will be hosted in the Alotau School hall that has been renovated, solely for the conference. The Provincial Government has also built 60 bungalows in local communities to house people, in the event that all the accommodation in Alotau is fully booked.

The conference will not only be ending on a positive note with a new Regional Conservation Strategy plan, it will also be ending on a special note for the people of Milne Bay and Papua New Guinea. The closing ceremony hosted by the Papua New Guinea Government will see a special dance staged that represents the nineteen different provinces of PNG.

For more information on the conference you can visit the Roundtable website or contact SPREP’s Action Strategy Adviser, Kate Brown Vitolio, who is coordinating the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas.

SPREP attends conference on climate change reporting

SPREP attended a meeting of experts in Cairo that discussed how to improve reporting on climate change-related issues and to better assist developing countries in this regard. SPREP’s Climate Change Adviser, Espen Ronneberg will brief Pacific delegates to the upcoming preparatory meeting of the Alliance of the Small Islands States. This meeting takes place from the 8th to the 10th of November and is a lead up towards the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change.

The ‘Workshop on exchange of experiences and good practices among non-Annex 1 Parties preparing national communications and on cross-cutting issues’, brought over 60 experts from developing countries together to exchange information on how their countries can communicate climate change-related information. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) all member countries must report on the steps they are taking or envisage undertaking to implement the convention by both reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases and adapting to the inevitable effects of climate change.

Discussions also took place as to how cooperation between the developing nations could be improved, under ‘South-South Cooperation’. One constraint identified in the past by the Pacific is the poor resolution of global climate change models. The Caribbean region faced similar issues but was assisted in developing a regional model with resolutions down to 25 km. However, the model requires intensive data skills and data storage, and it may be some time before it can be applied in the Pacific.

‘Train the trainer’ opportunities were also discussed under the ‘South-South Cooperation’ item, as well as the topic of a new ‘training model’ for climate change national communications. It is a user-friendly training model that will provide practical assistance for the Pacific islands countries on cross-cutting issues relating to climate change, such as presenting constraints, funding proposals and research requirements.

For more details contact SPREP’s Climate Change Adviser Espen Ronneberg.

SPREP’s Climate Change Adviser Chairing with representatives from Pakistan and Sudan Photo courtesy of Espen Ronneberg

Developments amongst SPREP staff during September

Frank Wickham the former Human Resource Development and Training Officer for SPREP has renewed his contract for another term. Frank is now the Capacity Development Adviser for SPREP. Tamara Logan the former Education and Social Communications Officer for SPREP has renewed her contract for another term with SPREP. Tamara is now the Education and Social Communications Adviser for SPREP.

Vacancies at SPREP

• Climate Change Adaptation Officer. Closing date 9 November 2007. For more information, click here.
• Intern Opportunity 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef – PYOR Campaign Coordinator. Closing date 2 November 2007. For more information, click here.
  

SPREP’s Calendar of Events for October 2008

1/10 – 5/10 Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGGAREP) Work Plan and Country Team Consultations. Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, Solomone Fifita Project Manager PIGGAREP

1/10 – 5/10 Detail PACC Planning at National Level, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, Taito Nakalevu, Climate Change Adaptation Officer

5/10 – 10/10 Country visit and National Workshop on Marine Pollution Issues, Tarawa, Kiribati, Anthony Talouli, Marine Pollution Adviser

12/10 – 18/10 Country visit and national Workshop on Marine Pollution Issues, Alofi, Niue, Anthony Talouli, Marine Pollution Adviser

19/10 – 3/11 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, Alotau, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, Jill Key, Pacific Invasives Learning Network Coordinator (PILN)

22/10 – 26/10 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, Alotau, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, Kate Brown Vitolio, Action Strategy Adviser

30/10 – 7/11 Turtle Monitoring Programme for Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu, Lui Bell, Marine Species Officer

Fa’fetai Lava for reading this E-Newsletter

Please send your comments to Nannette Woonton or contact SPREP

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