Pacific Ocean Summit Commits to Ocean Protection & Fighting Climate Change

ocean-summit

There’s strong support from Pacific island countries and the US for protecting oceans and fighting climate change.

In the fringes of the Pacific Forum meeting in Pohnpei, a Pacific Ocean Summit is being held.

Lt. Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga is attending the Forum meeting.

Palau’s President, Tommy Remengesau, called on the assembly to adopt the target of establishing marine reserves that protect at least 30% of oceans, underscoring the importance of protecting oceans and fighting climate change.

Hawaii’s Governor, David Ige, announced the ‘Hawai’i Sustainable Initiative,’ to protect 30% of Hawaii’s priority watersheds and 30% of its near shore ocean waters by 2030 as well as to develop a biosecurity plan to prevent, detect and control invasive species, among other goals.

US Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, highlighted US President Barack Obama’s recent expansion of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, creating the largest marine reserve on earth.

The Pacific Ocean Summit, highlighted the role of partnerships and political will in implementing ocean commitments.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, called for harmonization of legal frameworks and addressing the cause and origin of challenges, saying “we cannot manage the oceans, but we can manage the behavior of people using the oceans.”

Participants also supported integrating traditional approaches into ocean resilience approaches and underscored the importance of action on Sustainable Development Goals.

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