Our Sea of Islands Our Livelihoods Our Oceania
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Status and potential of locally-managed marine areas in the South Pacific: meeting natureOur conservation Sea of and Islands sustainable livelihood targets throughOur wide-spread Livelihoods implementation of LMMAs Our Oceania Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape: a catalyst for implementation of ocean policy Cristelle Pratt and Hugh Govan November 2010 This document was compiled by Cristelle Pratt and Hugh Govan. Part Two of the document was also reviewed by Andrew Smith, Annie Wheeler, Anthony Talouli, Bernard O’Callaghan, Carole Martinez, Caroline Vieux, Catherine Siota, Colleen Corrigan, Coral Pasisi, David Sheppard, Etika Rupeni, Greg Sherley, Jackie Thomas, Jeff Kinch, Kosi Latu, Lindsay Chapman, Maxine Anjiga, Modi Pontio, Olivier Tyack, Padma Lal, Pam Seeto, Paul Anderson, Paul Lokani, Randy Thaman, Samasoni Sauni, Sandeep Singh, Scott Radway, Sue Taei, Tagaloa Cooper, and Taholo Kami at the 2nd Marine Sector Working Group Meeting held in Apia, Samoa, 5–7 April 2010. Photography © Stuart Chape TABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE – Toward a Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape: A Policy Analysis 5 1.0 Introduction 7 2.0 Context and scope for a Pacific Oceanscape Framework 9 3.0 Instruments – our ocean policy environment 11 3.1 Pacific Plan and Pacific Forum Leaders communiqués 15 3.2 The Pacific Islands Regional Oceans Policy (PIROP) 18 3.3 Synergies with PIROP 18 3.3.1 Relevant international and regional instruments and arrangements 18 3.3.2 Relevant national and non-governmental initiatives 20 4.0 Institutional Framework for Pacific Islands regional ocean policy implementation 23 5.0 A Synthesis of Reviews on sustainable development and ocean-related themes 25 5.1 Relevant themes and sectors to be examined 25 5.2 A Synthesis of Reviews to determine the baseline 26 5.3 Key findings – challenges and issues 28 6.0 Design elements for a Pacific Oceanscape Framework 38 7.0 Recommendations and Conclusions 46 PART TWO – Proposed Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape 51 Framework Purpose 53 Introduction 53 The Policy and Legal Context 54 Framework principles, scope and vision 55 Framework objectives 57 Strategic priorities and actions 57 Strategic priority 1 – Jurisdictional Rights and Responsibilities 57 Strategic priority 2 – Good Ocean Governance 58 Strategic priority 3 – Sustainable development, management and conservation 60 Strategic priority 4 – Listening, Learning, Liaising and Leading 61 Strategic priority 5 – Sustaining Action 62 Strategic priority 6 – Adapting to a rapidly changing environment 63 Bibliography 65 Annex 1 Terms of Reference 67 Annex 2 Brief descriptions and the legal status of relevant international and regional multilateral conventions, agreements and arrangements 79 Annex 3 Framework 92 LIST OF ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank PICTs Pacific Island Countries and Territories BPoA Barbados Programme of Action for PIFACC Pacific Islands Framework for Action the Sustainable Development of Small to Climate Change Islands Developing States PIFL Pacific Islands Forum Leaders CBD Convention on Biological Diversity PIPA Phoenix Islands Protected Area CC Climate Change PIROF-ISA Pacific Islands Regional Ocean CITES Convention on International Trade in Framework for Integrated Strategic Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Action Flora PIROP Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy CTI Coral Triangle Initiative PoW Programme of Work CRISP Coral Reef InitiativeS for the Pacific PPAC Pacific Plan Action Committee CROP Council of Regional Organisations of RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands the Pacific SIDS Small Island Developing States EAF Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries SIS Small Island States EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone SOPAC Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience FFA Forum Fisheries Agency Commission FfADRM A Framework for Action 2005-2015 – SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community Building the Resilience of nations and Communities to Disasters SPREP Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme GLISPA Global Island Partnership UNCED United Nations Conference on ICM Integrated Coastal Management Environment and Development LMMA Locally managed marine areas UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law MDGs Millennium Development Goals of the Sea MEA Multi-lateral environmental agreement UNEP United Nations Environment Programme MPAs Marine Protected Areas UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention MSI Mauritius Strategy for the further on Climate Change implementation of the BPoA UNFSA United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement MSWG Marine Sector Working Group UNGA United Nations General Assembly NAPA National Adaptation Programmes of Action UNICPOLOS United Nations Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan USP University of the South Pacific NGO Non-government organisation WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre NSDS National Sustainable Development WCPFC Convention for the Conservation and Strategy Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Pacific PacificRAP Pacific Regional Action Plan for Sustainable Water Management WWF Worldwide Fund for Nature 4 Our Sea of Islands – Our Livelihoods – Our Oceania PART ONE TOWARD A FrAMEWorK For A PAciFic OCEANSCAPE: A POLicy ANALYSIS Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape: a catalyst for implementation of ocean policy | 5 Figure 1: The Pacific Islands Ocean Region (SPREP, 2010). 1.0 INtroDUctioN Pacific Island Countries and Territories of France, Great Britain, New Zealand and the United States of America that make up the Pacific Islands Ocean Region have stewardship responsibilities for a vast area of the earth’s surface covering at least 40 million square kilometres (Figure 1: The Pacific Islands Ocean Region (SPREP, 2010)1). The uses of the islands, coasts, seas and ocean and their resources have expanded exponentially over time and today they provide commercial, cultural, recreational, economic, scientific, conservation and security benefits, as well as sustaining diverse habitats and species of local and global significance. There are enormous challenges confronting the Pacific Islands Ocean Region such as pollution, habitat destruction, the unsustainable use of its marine resources, natural and man induced hazards and their disaster risk impacts that make such benefits and natural assets increasingly tenuous and vulnerable. Figure 1: The Pacific Islands Ocean Region (SPREP, 2010) Notwithstanding these challenges, a recent study by the United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (Corrigan, 2009) suggests that in comparison to other regions of the world “the Pacific is relatively healthy” and therefore opportunities still exist to be proactive and take actions that will ensure that the Pacific Islands Ocean Region continues to support the lives of its peoples as well as the wider global community. Its well-being and the sustainable use of its resources will guarantee that Pacific peoples can “live (the) free and worthwhile lives” that their Leaders visioned in their Pacific Plan1 of 2005, while making sure that their deeds and actions result in greater global good with lasting effect. Testament to the concern for their islands, coasts and ocean are the many commitments that Pacific Island countries have made at national, regional and international levels. They have ratified multi- lateral environmental agreements and developed companion regional policy instruments for the sea, biological diversity, disaster risk reduction, climate change and pollution. Their support of more encompassing frameworks for sustainable development such as the Johannesburg Programme of Action2, Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States3, the Pacific Plan as well as National Sustainable Development Strategy or Planning instruments at national level are further evidence and demonstration of this. For all of these policy instruments to achieve their desired outcomes in maintaining critical coastal and marine ecosystem, economic, social and cultural benefits more thoughtful and integrated approaches 1 The Pacific Plan and related documents – refer http://www.forumsec.org.fj/pages.cfm/about-us/the-pacific-plan/ 2 Johannesburg Programme of Action http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/WSSD_POI_PD/English/POIToc.htm 3 Mauritius Strategy, http://www.sidsnet.org/MIM.html Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape: a catalyst for implementation of ocean policy | 7 to addressing critical priorities over the development policy spectrum will be needed. The effectiveness of such an approach for the Pacific Islands Ocean Region will depend upon strong leadership and commitment as well as regional ownership and cooperation. It will also require sufficient levels of human and financial resources to allow ocean specific and ocean related priority initiatives to be implemented. Adoption of a regional approach toward ocean solutions for sustainability should be offered not as a choice but as a necessity given that resources such as fisheries and minerals and many of the mentioned challenges such as pollution are transboundary in nature and are not limited by the political boundaries that exist between States or with areas of High Seas. 8 Our Sea of Islands – Our Livelihoods – Our Oceania 2.0 CONTEXT AND ScopE For A PAciFic OCEANSCAPE FrAMEWorK At the 40th Pacific Islands Forum convened in Cairns Australia in August 2009, the Republic of Kiribati shared with its Forum siblings a vision for a secure future for Pacific Island