13 June 2025, Nice France - Coral reefs in the Pacific host almost 27% of the world's coral reefs and are ecologically and socially important for the islands and their people, biodiversity and economies.
They nourish and stabilise shorelines, provide income through tourism and fishing, are a vital source of protein for many people, and are part of cultural identity.
“As the saying goes "Time and tide wait for no man”. We must do all we can to save and restore these coral reefs for the sake of survival and humanity,” said the Honourable Ribanataake Awira, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources of the Republic of Kiribati.
The Minister’s comments came at the launch of the new Status and Trends of Coral Reefs in the Pacific: 1980 – 2023 report.
Building upon the regional assessment, released in 2018, the report highlights the condition of the Pacific’s coral reefs, presenting both regional and national trends from 1980 to 2023, to guide policy and effective management solutions.
Minister Awira highlighted a recent discovery in Kiribati: “It turns out that some of our islands, especially those in the Line Island group harbors strain of coral reefs which are tolerant and resilient to temperature change and hardly bleached. These are what the researchers now termed as “Super Reefs”.
This discovery offers us a sense of optimism for a secure future of our communities who are heavily relying on these reef systems for their survival”.
“I wish to call upon the global community to explore investing in safeguarding and perhaps replicating these super reefs to other affected coral reefs environments to restore their critical functions to the ocean environment and the people that depend on them”.
As 2025 marks the critical midpoint of the 2030 global agenda, this report emphasises the urgency of continued action. In collaboration with key leaders and actors from the Pacific region, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), country representatives and important financial contributors, this report was launched today at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
“I congratulate the International Coral Reef Initiative, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, SPREP and all other partners for producing the new edition of the Status and Trends of Coral Reefs of the Pacific 1980 – 2023. Kiribati was very honored to have been included as well in this latest report,” concluded Minister Awira.
SPREP, providing support to Pacific delegations at UNOC3 as part of the One CROP support, was represented at the meeting by Head of SPREP Delegation and Director of Environmental Governance, Mr Jope Davetanivalu.
“SPREP will ensure that the report is accessible, shared and utilised as much as possible. We hope that this new report will serve as a catalyst for increased collaboration towards coral reef conservation and management strategies in our region,” said Mr. Davetanivalu.
“Building on and complementing this work, SPREP is currently undertaking a Pacific coral monitoring assessment aimed at better understanding coral monitoring programmes and initiatives. The results and findings will add to our body of knowledge, identifying where coral reef monitoring could be strengthened as we work to support Pacific Island countries to build the additional capacities and resources needed to strengthen evidence-based policy making.”
Central to the stewardship and care of our ocean is the health of our coral reef and coastal ecosystems.
To advance and showcase Pacific leadership and engagement towards coral reef conservation and sustainable development, SPREP partnered with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) co-chaired by the General Organization for Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS) and many other organisations.
This included a High-Level breakfast “Coral Reefs and People: Honouring Culture and Advancing Conservation Action for the Pacific Islands” which took place on Wednesday 10 June in presence of Ms. Inger Anderson, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, Ms. Selina Stead, CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and Hon. Ministers from the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Palau.
The third UN Ocean Conference is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025. The overarching theme of the Conference is “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”.
The Pacific Islands are represented by a strong contingent, which includes leaders from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu. Also present and engaged are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is providing support to Pacific delegations as part of the One CROP support. SPREP will provide more Pacific news from the UNOC2025. For further information on the UN Ocean Conference 2025, please visit: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/ocean2025