environment · 2008-07-30 · supportive. there is now a clear international consensus that...

Did you know .......................................... 2

From the Director�s desk ........................ 3

V-Files ...................................................... 7

Waste Awareness and EducationProgramme......................................... 1 4

Educational resources developedin Vanuatu ......................................... 1 5

Tackling Climate Change ..................... 1 6

SPREP staff update ............................... 1 7

In the next issue .................................... 1 7

Tonga wins Artworkcompetition ........................................ 1 7

Environment book review: SEAof Neiafu Masterplan ........................ 1 8

SPREP new releases .............................. 1 8

Meetings 1997 ........................................ 1 9

The last word ......................................... 20

Issue nos 47/48October 1996 – March 1997

The quarterly newsletter of the South Pacific Regional

Environment Programme (SPREP)NEWSLETTER

environment

In this issue

WMO Secretary-Generalvisits SPREP ....................... 4

SPREP takes onthe Internet .......................... 5

The Treaty ofWaigani ............................... 6

Whale watch in Tonga........ 8

Special Supplement:Pacific Yearof the Coral ReefInformation liftout ......... 9–12

What is PIMRIS ................. 13

Tackling Climate ............... 16

Regular features

South PacificMinisters adopt Action

Plan for the Environmentn the Ninth SPREP Meeting,Ministers of the Pacific region madepositive decisions to ensure thatenvironment issues are at the

decision made by leaders of the region atthe 27th South Pacific Forum�to achieverapid progress on economic reform andthe sustainable management of naturalresources.

Decisions endorsed by the Meeting whichhave significance to the operations of SPREPinclude: a new budget reporting format toreflect the structure of the new Action Plan;the SPREP Meetings to convene on abiennial basis (previously held annually);and amendments to the Convention onConservation of Nature in the South Pacific(Apia Convention) and Convention for theProtection of the Natural Resources andEnvironment of the South Pacific Region(SPREP Convention), to transfer theSecretariat role for both Conventions toSPREP.

ISSN: 0257 - 1962

Iforefront of regional agendas as we headtowards the 21st century. The Meetingadopted: a bold Action Plan that will allowSPREP, in concert with other regionalorganisations, to confidently face thechallenges that lie in the future to preservethe region�s pristine environment; itappointed Mr Tamarii Tutangata as thesecond Director of SPREP; and issued a�Statement on Environment and Develop-ment� (printed in full on page 2 of thiscombined issue) stating: Ministers agreethat economic and other costs and benefitsof environmental initiatives should beconsidered during economic policydecisions. This follows through on the

2 SPREP's Environment Newsletter

SPREP coordinates Pacific islandactivities in association with a number ofinternational conventions? These include:London Convention; United NationsFrame�work Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC); Convention onBiological Biodiversity; MontrealProtocol; Basel Convention; Conventionon International Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES);Ramsar Convention; and World HeritageConvention.

The SPREP Action Plan is the frameworkfor a regional approach to environmentalissues in the Pacific islands. The 1997�2000Action Plan, adopted by the 1996 SPREPMinisterial Meeting, established fiveprogramme areas:1. Biodiversity and Natural Resource

Conservation2. Climate Change and Integrated

Coastal Management3. Waste Management, Pollution

Prevention and Emergencies4. Environmental Management,

Planning and InstitutionalStrengthening

5. Environmental Education,Information and Training

SPREP produces two other Newsletters,the CASOLink and the South Pacific SeaLevel and Climate Change Newsletter.

Niue was the tenth country to ratify theAgreement Establishing SPREP andofficially turned SPREP into anautonomous intergovernmental regionalorganisation.

The Agreement Establishing SPREPwas signed at Papauta Girls� School on 16June 1993 in Apia, Samoa.

The first Director of SPREP, Dr ViliFuavao is also the first to head the UnitedNations Food and Agriculture Organiza-tion�s (FAO) Pacific Sub-regional Office,in Apia, Samoa.

SPREP coordinated the highly successful1995 Year of the Sea Turtle campaign andthat the slogan was called �Let Our TurtleFamily Live�. Over 100,000 units ofcampaign material were distributed? Thiswas so successful that the Indian Oceanregion countries have followed thePacific�s example and have declared 1998as their �Year of the Sea Turtle�.

Ministers of the Ninth SPREP Meeting approved and supported a new four yearAction Plan which will guide the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme(SPREP) to the year 2000. The Ninth SPREP Meeting at Ministerial level was heldin Nuku�alofa, Kingdom of Tonga, from 27 to 28 November 1996.

he goal of the 1997�2000 ActionPlan is to build nationalcapacity in environmental andresource management so that

Ministers� �Statement onEnvironment and Development�

T

DID YOU KNOW THAT ...

Continued on page 3

Mr DonStewartd e l i v e r ingthe SPREPaddress atthe NinthSPREPMeeting

which Leaders agreed on a range of measuresto achieve more rapid progress on economicreform and development, and sustainablemanagement of natural resources.

Sustainable development is of particularconcern in the South Pacific, where manyisland countries and territories have fragileenvironments and small land areas, and relyon their natural resources or ability to attracttourists for a significant part of their nationalincome.

Moreover island countries and territories,especially the small island states, haveparticular difficulties in building nationalcapacity for environmental protection.Although the final responsibility forenvironmental policy rests with nationalgovernments, international programmes, andthe cooperation activities of the donorcountries should continue to take account ofthe special environmental vulnerabilityneeds of smaller island countries.

Ministers pointed out that sustainabledevelopment in the region can only bepossible if economic development andenvironmental policies are mutuallysupportive. There is now a clearinternational consensus that sustainabledevelopment is a process in which theenvironment and development are treated asone.

SPREP Members will be able to protect andimprove the environment of the region forthe benefit of Pacific island people now, andinto the future.

The Action Plan represents a new andstrategic approach to protecting the Pacificenvironment, as an integral part of theregion�s development, and recognises thatthis is essential due to the increasing numberand severity of environmental threats.

The key elements of the plan deal with:• conservation of biological diversity

• climate change and integrated coastalmanagement

• waste management

• environmental management, planningand institutional strengthening

• environmental education, informationand training

Ministers called for a report to be presentedby the Secretariat at the next MinisterialMeeting on the outputs achieved in each ofthe key elements of the Action Plan.

The Ninth SPREP Meeting came in thewake of the 27th South Pacific Forum at

SPREP's Environment Newsletter 3

Mr Tutangata, Director of SPREP

from the Director�s desk

Tamarii TutangataDirector

Ministers at the Ninth SPREP Meetingcalled upon their colleagues attending theForum Economic Ministers Meeting toconsider, in their discussions, theenvironmental implications of economicpolicy decisions, and to take fully intoaccount environmental information thatmay assist in clarifying the range ofsustainable development options.

Similarly, Ministers agreed that theeconomic and other costs and benefits ofenvironmental initiatives should beconsidered before new commitments wereagreed by governments.

Ministers declared 1997 to be the Year ofthe Coral Reef in the South Pacific and

aving now spent threemonths as SPREP�s secondDirector, I consider myselfto be most fortunate in being

World Meteorological Organization(WMO) to SPREP Headquarters on mythird day in office. Professor Obasiexplored with us and the SamoanGovernment, the possibility of locatingWMO�s Sub-regional Office for the South-West Pacific at SPREP Headquarters.Professor Obasi subsequently decided infavour of this move. We all felt that notonly would such a development be to themutual benefit of both organisations but,more importantly, our overlappingmembership within the Pacific islandcountries would be better served throughsuch an arrangement.

That first week was certainly a revitalisingintroduction for me into the new worldof SPREP.

Many people from around the region andthe wider international community havekindly extended to me expressions offriendship, kinship and continuingsupport for SPREP. Several of them alsoinformed me of the high regard that theyaccorded to the work of the SPREPSecretariat. Let me, therefore, belatedly

extend to Dr Vili Fuavao, first Director ofSPREP, my very warm thanks for hisexemplary service to the region and to theSPREP Secretariat in particular.

Let me also congratulate Don Stewart, forhis stewardship as Acting Director ofSPREP in the eight months periodbetween Dr Fuavao�s departure fromSPREP and my arrival in mid-January,1997.

SPREP is certainly blessed with highlydedicated and competent staff, a majorfactor contributing to the Secretariat�simpressive outputs on behalf of the PacificIsland countries that it serves as DrFuavao, Don and many others have readilyattested.

It has been ten years since I was directlyinvolved in overseeing the activities ofSPREP while it was one of the increasinglysignificant projects within the SouthPacific Commission. Certainly SPREP hasgrown significantly in that time from ahandful of staff members to the sixty thatwe currently have on the payroll, and itsactivities have obviously increased in equalproportion to the increase in staff.Obviously, there has to be a cut-off pointin such phenomenal growth and in termsof our current �temporary� office facilities,saturation point was reached before Iarrived on the scene.

We all look forward to that day in the nearfuture when our members and friends willsee fit to provide the SPREP Secretariatwith office facilities that are conducive tothe maintenance of consistently high,quality outputs by SPREP staff.

Hentrusted by our member countries withthe responsibility of leading the vibrantSPREP Secretariat into the 21st Century.On arrival in Samoa, my family and I havebeen well received by the Government ofSamoa, the dynamic staff of SPREP andthe wider Apia community in general.

Indeed, I was honoured to be received bythe Right Honourable Tofilau Eti Alesana,Prime Minister of Samoa, on my secondday in office. Further, my wife, Va�aipuand I were generously hosted to a welcomedinner by the Honourable Tuala Kerslake,Minister of Lands, Surveys and Environ-ment and Mrs Kerslake.

Heads of Diplomatic Missions and theSub-regional Offices of InternationalAgencies also made me feel welcome byreceiving me in my first week in office.

In addition, we were pleased to welcomeProfessor Obasi, Secretary General of the

initiated further work by SPREP topromote the conservation of the region�ssea turtle populations following on from

the 1995 Year of the Sea Turtle campaign.

Ministers recognised the importance to theregion of the Special Session of the UnitedNations General Assembly in June 1997which will renew the international agendafor sustainable development and considerits further implementation.

Ministers agreed to contribute effectivelyto this process by developing a regionalsubmission from Pacific island countriesand territories containing concreteproposals for action.

Ministers� Statement onEnvironment and Development

Continued fr om page 2


WMO relocate tothe Pacific region?

Professor G.O.P. Obasi, the Secretary-General of the WorldMeteorological Organization (WMO), visited Apia inJanuary this year. During his three-day visit, he held talkswith SPREP about the possibility of setting up a WMOSub-regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific(ASWP) that would operate within or coexist with SPREP.

“ . . . exciting times lie ahead for theregion in the area of Meteorology andClimatology, and in the environment ofthe new SPREP Action Plan.”

The relocation of the office,which is currently in Geneva, isfor certain, where it will bebased in the Pacific is the

Prof. Obasi discussing the GIS database with SPREP�s GIS Database Assistant Officer, Mr Fiu PeteloIoane, during a tour of the SPREP Secretariat

Prof.Obasi, Mr

Tutangata andmembers of their respective staff

question that Prof. Obasi and his tourparty were here to discover�Fiji orSamoa. The relocation will allow WMOto monitor its programmes and respondquickly to the needs of its membercountries in the Pacific region. If SPREPis the location, the office�s objectives willbe enhanced through: the close workingrelationship which the two organisationshave built since 1994; using SPREP�sextensive coordinating infrastructure inthe region; and merging or collaboratingon programmes that have similar activitiesand outputs removing areas of duplicationand maximising their combined resources.

According to SPREP Director, Mr TamariiTutangata, �SPREP and WMO began aformal working relationship in 1994, withthe aim of strengthening the capacity ofthe Pacific region in the areas ofMeteorology and Climatology. Some ofthe projects from the relationship haveresulted in the installation of satellitereceiving equipment in the Cook Islands,Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Tuvalu and WesternSamoa. The equipment is being used bythese countries to prepare daily weatherforecasts and, even more importantly, toforecast and track tropical cyclones.

�However, with WMO projects increasingas well as their membership growing in theregion, WMO is looking to relocate theoffice for ASWP. Therefore, exciting timeslie ahead for the region in the area ofMeteorology and Climatology, and in theenvironment of the new SPREP ActionPlan.�

The WMO sub-regional office will operateas an integral part of the WMOSecretariat. Its functions will focus ontechnical cooperation activities (especially

those relating toidentifying WMOmember needs); form-ulation of national andregional proposals; evalua-tion and follow-up ofprojects; mobilisation of resources;and participation in the implementationof the WMO Regional Programme.

Professor Obasi during this visit also heldtalks with Western Samoa Governmentofficials including Prime Minister,Honourable Tofilau Eti Alesana, and

members of the Diplomatic Corpsincluding United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) Resident Repre-sentative, Mr Anthony Patten.


SPREP takes on the Internet

As the Pacific embraces the electronic age, spreading the word on environmental issues has never been easier. In thisarticle *Mr Alex Williams, SPREP�s Computer Information and Technology Officer, reports on the new communicationfacilities soon to be available at the SPREP Secretariat.

nformation is the life blood ofSPREP. In the same way that ourbodies need to circulate bloodefficiently to help us live and be

will reflect this reduction, and studies inother organisations have shown that thisreduction more than covers the cost of theleased line to and charges by the InternetService Providers.

Wor ld Wide WebSPREP will have a page on the World WideWeb which can be accessed by anyone onthe Internet. The contents of this page havenot yet been finalised, and will evolve asmore experience is gained in whatinformation is useful to those accessing it.

Fi le t ransferMany of our documents will be held online.After browsing the list, anyone wishing tohave a copy of a particular document will beable to �download� it to a local computer forprinting or for reading on the screen. Thiswill not replace our mailing policy, but willallow people not on the mailing list to gainaccess to our documents.

A �Firewall� coupled with �routes� willprovide protection to SPREP�s internalnetwork from unauthorised access. Adedicated line between SPREP and the local

ISP will be installed, and mail will be sentand received regularly throughout the dayand distributed to programme officers via itsMicrosoft Exchange Serve Post Office on thenetwork.

The design of the Web Page is important. Itmust be interesting and relevant, but seriousthought must be given to the use of graphics.Pictures make reading more exciting, butinvolve a lot of data which takes time totransmit and therefore costs real money tothe receiver. Users can choose not to acceptgraphics, but this could produce a veryboring page, particularly if the author usedgraphics and animation to make the pageinteresting. Internet access in the Pacific isstill expensive, so we will ensure that this isborne in mind when designing the SPREPpage.

Ihealthy, SPREP must also disseminateinformation efficiently if it is to besuccessful. Currently this is achievedthrough workshops, seminars, and audio-visual and printed documentation, butsoon another option will be available.

The age of electronic communication haswell and truly arrived in metropolitancountries�and it is beginning to reach thePacific. The so-called Information SuperHighway (although at times it is more like awinding country road) is opening up via theInternet Service Providers (ISPs) who aresetting up shop in many island countries,donors and anyone with an interest in thework we are undertaking. It is our intentionfor SPREP to be fully accessible from andto the Internet and for SPREP to have apresence on the World Wide Web.

Right at the beginning, it must be clearlystated that we are fully aware that affordableaccess to the Internet is not universallyavailable in the region, and we will ensurethat our service to those countries will notbe adversely affected.

At the time of writing, we are in the planningstage, but it is expected that the project willbe completed in the first half of 1997. Sometraining has already been undertaken, andmuch of the required equipment andsoftware ordered. Implementation will bein stages but, when complete, the followingfacilities will be available.

EmailAll Programme Officers and SPREPmanagement will have an Email address.This will provide an efficient and costeffective means of communication to andfrom these officers. It is expected that thenumber of faxes being sent will decreasedramatically, as will the number of overseastelephone calls. The SPREP telephone bills

AcknowledgementI would like to acknowledge the work of Al Blakeof SPC, Noumea. Many of our ideas and plansstem from the work he has done and thesuggestions he has made.

* Mr Williams has since departed SPREP. Hisreplacement will be Mr Herve Dropsy.


The Treaty of Waigani

regional waste disposal facilities. Removingobsolete pesticides, PCBs from oldtransformers, and other hazardous wastesfrom Pacific Islands will be a significant steptowards a cleaner and safer environment.

But why do we need a Convention to dothat?One country can�t stop the danger ofhazardous wastes, which represent anincreasing threat to human health and theenvironment. It needs regional cooperation.

In fact, countries which ratify the WaiganiConvention stand to gain in many areas.They are likely to attract financial support,possibly from SPREP, to help themadminister and properly dispose of theirexisting hazardous wastes. The greatestbenefit, though, is the knowledge thatdangerous wastes will not enter the regionand the risk of accidents involving shipscarrying these wastes is far less likely.

Of course, there are some costs involved inthe administration of the Convention, too.

the Convention Secretariat, it is likely thatSPREP will produce a standard set ofdocuments based on those drafted for theBasel Convention, ensuring thatadministration does not become difficult.

The Convention includes: AmericanSamoa, Australia, Cook Islands, FederatedStates of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia,Guam, Kiribati, Republic of the MarshallIslands, Nauru, New Caledonia andDependencies, New Zealand, Niue, theCommonwealth of the Northern MarianaIslands, Republic of Palau, Papua NewGuinea, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands,Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallisand Futuna.

The Waigani Convention is designed to stop waste traders making the SouthPacific an international waste dump for hazardous and radioactive wastes.

he Waigani Convention, or TheConvention to Ban the Import-ation into Forum IslandCountries of Hazardous andT

Radioactive Wastes and to Control theTransboundary Movement and Managementof Hazardous Wastes within the South PacificRegion, was opened for signature bymembers of the South Pacific Forum atWaigani, Papua New Guinea, inSeptember 1995.

It can be likened to a huge protective netaround the South Pacific, banning thedumping of hazardous wastes producedoutside the region.

Such an agreement is immenselyimportant in keeping our region clean.Yet, by the time of writing only threeForum countries had ratified theagreement. The Convention requires 10ratifications before it enters into force.Until this happens, this net will have manyholes!

Why have a Waigani Convention?The title of the Convention is selfexplanatory. Other objectives that can beinferred from the document:

• prohibit the importation of hazardouswastes into Pacific Island DevelopingCountries;

• avoid or reduce the generation ofhazardous wastes;

• reduce to a minimum or eliminate thetransboundary movements of hazard-ous wastes within the region;

• manage those wastes in anenvironmentally sound manner;

• optimise the environmentally soundrecovery of those wastes;

• prohibit the importation of radioactivewastes into Pacific Island DevelopingCountries; and

• recognise different requirements formanaging radioactive wastes andhazardous wastes.

In addition, the Convention Secretariat,SPREP, has already begun the search for

According to the Convention, hazardouswastes come in two forms:

1. those products whose productionprocesses are known to be hazardous,such as medical wastes, organicsolvents, explosives, photographicchemicals and industrial waste disposaloperations; and

2. products which contain poisons, suchas the heavy metals of zinc and lead,the inorganic compounds of cyanideand fluorine, and asbestos.

Both groups display certain characteristicssuch as being explosive, f lammable,infectious or toxic.

is ahazardous

waste?

What

What must a country do onceit signs the Convention?Countries should ban the importof hazardous and radioactivewastes. They should alsominimise the production ofhazardous wastes and cooperateto ensure that wastes are treatedor disposed of in anenvironmentally sound manner.This will involve developingnational legislation (and perhapsamending existing laws) toprevent and punish illegaltrafficking of wastes.

There are also various forms ofdocumentation which need to betransmitted between countriesand the Secretariat includingexport notifications, writtenconsent or disapproval, notifi-cations of movements andaccidents and information on thesound management of wastes. As

SPREP thanks Ian Fry and Greenpeace Pacificfor their help in compiling this information.

For more information, contact:Mr Bernard MoutouLegal Officer

O r

Mr Andrew MunroWaste Management and PollutionPrevention OfficerSPREP (the nominated Secretariat forthe Waigani Convention)PO Box 240ApiaSamoaEmail [email protected]


V�FILES � AVAs working withSPREP in Yap and Palau

Two new Australian volunteers have joined the SPREP forces to strengthen its regional in-country activities. Glennand Claire continue SPREP�s long-running association with the Australian Volunteers Abroad (AVA) programme.

laire Gronow is an environ-mental scientist with adegree in Science and Envi-ronmental Studies from the

lenn Whittaker will work inYap for 12 months, for theYap State EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA),

• preparation of environmentalmanagement plans for operation ofsewers and sewage pumpingstations, electricity transmissionsystems and various constructionprojects.

She has also completed wastemanagement and contaminated siterelated work.

�I am not really sure what my positionin Palau will involve�, she says.�Probably everything from environ-mental impact assessment to com-munity education. That is one of themost exciting things about theplacement�the wide range ofinteresting things that I am likely tobe involved with, not to mention thewide range of interesting people I ambound to meet!�

Gas a Water Quality Specialist. Glennhas a chemistry degree and has workedwith Pacific Power (the New SouthWales Electricity Commission inAustralia) for approximately sevenyears, including a cadetship. Thisinvolved work with water treatment,water testing, coal analysis, plantoperation/maintenance, gas emissiontesting, predicting changes in traceelement emissions and, as Glenn says,�lots of other stuff �! He has the optionof extending for a further year and, ifhe enjoys it as much as he has so far,just might do that.

Glenn can be contacted through the:Yap State EnvironmentalProtection AgencyPO Box 178YapFSM 96943

CUniversity of Melbourne, Australia.For the last six years (since graduating),she has been working as a consultant,first with Woodward-Clyde and thenwith Sinclair Knight Merz. Claireenjoyed the wide variety of projectsthat she worked on in three years,although some of her favourites havebeen:• environmental impact assessment

of gold mines;• environmental impact assessment

of infrastructure projects such assewers and gas transmissionpipelines;

• environmental audits of powerstations, coal mines and irrigationdrainage systems; and

Glenn and Claire atSPREP Secretariatpreparing for theirr espective assignments


A whale of a time

need to be studiedfurther for a more accu-rate picture. In theAustralian part of thegroup, the whales areshowing around threepercent recovery.

�The accepted interna-tional strike-loss rate isthree to one, so if youpropose to kill 10whales you are talkingabout killing or wound-ing 40 whales. Thatcould easily com-promise the recovery ofthe whales on thatbreeding ground�,Miller said.

Tonga had a smalldomestic whaling in-

When a Tongan national sought to resume whaling in the Kingdom in 1995, officials sought second opinions beforedeciding to contunie a whaling ban imposed 17 years earlier. SPREP was among those approached.

he original request hadsuggested an annual take of 10humpback whales (down froman earlier kill figure of 50).

From an original population of 120,000, there are nowan estimated 10,000 left in the entire SouthernHemisphere. Of that number, several hundred arebelieved to migrate to Tonga and nearby countries.

swim back to Antarctica. One advantageof Vava�u is that the waters are calm,making it much easier for small calves tobreathe than in the swells and spray of theAntarctic.

Individual whales are identified by theirtail flukes which are as unique as humanfingerprints. One of the most distinctivefemales in the Tongan breeding ground isKonga Hiku (Half Tail), who has part ofone of her flukes missing. Konga Hiku wasspotted two years ago and returned againthis season with a calf. She is one of morethan 50 humpback whales photographedin Tonga over a three-year period to helpidentify them.

Today tourists come from all over theworld to see the humpbacks at play. �Wehad a 74-year-old grandmother who wasso excited with the encounter she cameback aboard crying�, says Allan Bowe ofWhalewatch, Vava�u. That crying iskeeping the whales alive.

dustry early this century. It is believed tohave been introduced by Americanwhalers. Rather than making money fromlegal hunting, SPREP has backed Tonganefforts to attract visitors who will spendmoney to watch the mammals in theirnatural environment year after year.

Whale watching as a commercial activityis picking up in islands such as Tonga,following established operations inAustralia and New Zealand. At a 1995seminar for operators in the Kingdom, theparticipants were told the best approachwas one that did not change the giantmammal�s behaviour in the water. Theywere also invited to learn about thehumpbacks.

Newborn calves need to breathe every fewminutes and can become stressed by boatsmoving too close. The calves need to buildup body weight to undergo the lengthy

Adapted with permission from an articleappearing in the March�April 1997 issue ofIslands Business, by Ulafala Aiavao

TSPREP provided expert advice on why anyhunting would threaten the recovery of analready endangered species that was alsocovered by an international moratoriumon whaling.

Among the arguments in support ofwhaling was the supposed dietary benefitto Tongans, as well as a claim thathumpback numbers were comfortablyhigh enough. There were other claims aswell, including one suggesting the whaleswere competing with fishermen for fish(research indicates that whales migratingto Tonga only go there to breed and raisecalves, not feed. Humpback eat krill, notfish, in the southern oceans). Sue Miller,SPREP�s Biodiversity Officer (Species) ,describes the humpback population asseverely depleted with current numbers afraction of what they were before com-mercial whaling got underway in earnestlast century.

From an original population of 120,000there are now an estimated 10,000 left inthe entire Southern Hemisphere. Of thatnumber, several hundred are believed tomigrate to Tonga and nearby countries.

Whales in the Southern Hemisphere aredivided into six groups or tribes, withGroup Five migrating past New Zealandand splitting into two sub-groups. Onebreeds mainly around Australia, such asin Hervey Bay, Queensland. The secondsub-group breeds mainly around Tonga,between June and November, with somespreading further to other Island States.

The breeding population in Tonga showslittle or no sign of recovery, although they

Ph

oto by Jean

Marc

Humpback Whale and Calf, Kingdom of Tonga. Produced with

the kind permission of Jean Marc

SPREP�s Environment Newsletter Nos 47/48, October 1996 � March 1997

Coral reefs are in danger! Seventypercent of the world�s coral is either

dead, critical or threatened due entirelyto pollution, overfishing and other

human-induced activities. If this trendis not halted, coral reefs will disappear

along with an integral part of ourcultural identity.

7

Why carefor coral reefs?

Coral reefs are important to ournatural and cultural heritage.The islands of Micronesia,Polynesia and Melanesiacontain 15 to 20 percent ofthe world�s remaininghealthy coral. Pacific islandcountries (PICs) would like tokeep these remaining healthy corals alive.If we take care of our coral reefs, they willtake care of us!

What should Iknow about corals?

Corals are alive! Our coral reefs, mangrovesand seagrasses protect and support eachother. We need them all. Protecting ourcoral reefs helps secure our future and iseveryone�s responsibility.

The Pacific Year of the Coral Reef(PYOCR) is a region-wide educationalawareness campaign. It aims to increaseunderstanding, appreciation, support andimmediate action for coral reefconservation and its wise use. The SouthPacific Regional Environment Programme,together with its 26 member governmentsand many non-government agencies, isworking on this international campaignto actively highlight damage to coral reefsand promote ways to protect and use themwisely.

The campaign slogan is �Coral Reefs:Their Health, Our Future!�, becausehealthy coral reefs in the Pacific Islandshelp provide a healthy future for peopleof the Pacific. Corals are living animals.They are of fundamental importance tothe Pacific way of life and this campaignprovides the chance to celebrate corals andtake real action to keep reefs healthy.

Launchingacross the region

With the exception of Vanuatu, Tonga,Tokelau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati,Solomon Islands andTuvalu, the PYOCRcampaign was launchedsimultaneously acrossthe Pacific region on 11February, 1997 by prominentleaders in each PIC. Launch ceremonyactivities included floats, music, artwork,poetry and story-telling competitions,displays and many more. A documentary

video will be launched at the end ofMarch, followed by the PYOCR rap musicvideo in late July.

Key threatsto coral reefs

The threats which contributemostly to coral reef degradation

are human-induced activities. Forthe Pacific region, the primary threats

to coral reefs and related ecosystemsinclude the following:

1. pollution fr om sewage, fertilisers,biocides, toxic wastes, oil spills, solidwastes, freshwater runof f and otherland-based sources of pollution;(American Samoa, Cook Islands,FSM, Fiji, French Polynesia,Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,New Caledonia, Niue, Palau,PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands,Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, andVanuatu)2. siltation due to soil erosion frominappropriately conducted landusepractices (agriculture, forestr y,mining , r oadworks, site clearance);(American Samoa, Cook Islands,FSM, Fiji, French Polynesia,Guam, Kiribati, New Caledonia,CNMI, Palau, PNG, Samoa,Solomon Islands, and Tonga)3. over-exploitation of coral reefr esources (e.g . commercially valuablespecies such as beche-de-mer, giantclams, trochus and shellfish; live coralharvesting for aquariums and thetourist trade; mining coral heads forconstruction; subsistence fishingprocedur es);(American Samoa, FSM, Fiji,French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati,Marshall Islands, New Caledonia,Niue, CNMI, Palau, PNG, Samoa,Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu,Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna)4. destructive fishing and collectingmethods (e.g. poisons, explosives);(Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Samoaand Tonga)5. land r eclamation (includingmangrove and reef-flat destruction),inappropriate coastal pr otection

works and unsound maricultur epractices;

(American Samoa, FSM,Fiji, Guam, Kiribati,

Marshall Islands, Nauru, NewCaledonia, CNMI, Palau, Samoa,and Tonga)6. coastal and marine developmentprojects progressing without EIAs or

with inadequate EIAs;(FSM, Niue, PNG, and Samoa)7. channel blasting and dr edgingactivit ies ;(Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, FrenchPolynesia, Kiribati, MarshallIslands, CNMI, Palau, Samoa,Tokelau, and Tuvalu)8. mining of beach and r eefmaterials ;(Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, FrenchPolynesia, Kiribati, MarshallIslands, Palau and Western Samoa)9. coastal erosion and accr etion;(Fiji, French Polynesia andKiribati)10. tourism activities and r elateddev e l opment s ;(Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam,CNMI and Palau)11. militar y testing , training anddumping (e.g. nuclear testing,munitions disposal)(French Polynesia and MarshallIslands)12. catastrophic events (e.g . tropicalc yclones, volcanic eruptions,earthquakes, tsunamis, coralbleaching , crown-of-thorns starfish,severe El Nino�Southern Oscillation(ENSO) events and possible climatechange and sea-level rise;(American Samoa, Cook Islands,FSM, Fiji, French Polynesia,Kiribati, Marshall Islands, NewCaledonia, Samoa, SolomonIslands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu,and Vanuatu)

These threats are common across theregion. As a result of being host to one ofthe world�s heaviest population densities,Ebeye atoll in the Marshall Islands has reefswhich are badly polluted and damaged.

Samoa and Rarotonga in the Cook Islandsshare the problem of having their coastallagoons fished out. Logging and poorlanduse practice have resulted in smotheredpatches of reefs around large Pacific townareas such as Suva, Port Vila, Honiara andNuku�alofa. In the Federated States ofMicronesia, large reefs have been buriedalive under airfields built for internationalairports.

PICs have identified these threats as theissues that need to be addressed to alleviatecoral reef degradation as well as promoteconservation and wise use.

Campaign activitiesThere is a specific Regional Campaign Plan(RCP) which outlines the activities for thePacific Year of the Coral Reef (PYOCR).Each participating country has its ownNational Campaign Plan (NCP). SPREPis working with these countries toimplement NCP activities.

Nationalcampaign activities

American Samoa

Pacific Year of the Coral Reef logo andslogan competitionFlag day float contest

Cook Islands

Crown-of-Thorns clean-up (collection ofCOT by entire reef-user community)educational reef flat walks

Guam

Coral reef monitoring and researchworkshopsCoral reef policy development

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)

Poster and slogan campaignPublic awareness workshopSchool colouring competition

Fiji

Community-based management ofmarine reservesOne-day �Coral Reef Awareness�workshop for Great Council of ChiefsSchool Oratory competition and debates

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Coral reef clean-up (by diving clubs)Battle of the Bands (coral reef themesong)Public displays of coral reef resourcemeterials

Commonwealth of theNorthern Mariana Islands (CNMI)

Public building murals, bus sheltermurals and rubbish bin painting projectsLibrary exhibitsCoral reef monitoring and researchworkshops

Republic of Palau

Essay and poster contestTravelling theatre (skits)Coral outreach programmes

Papua New Guinea

Underwater photo competitionDevelopment of marine awareness andeducation resource kit for schools

Coral reef monitoring and surveytechniques training workshop�

Samoa

National quiz on television (school quizcompetitions to narrow down to onechampion)Coral Caravan (travelling library)Site visits to degraded areasSite visits to pristine areas

Tokelau

Public awareness workshop

Tonga

Artwork competitionSlideshowVideo production

Tuvalu

Public awareness workshopsEssay and song competitionsRadio programmes

Vanuatu

Travelling play on reef custom storiesPoster competition on problems of reeflitter�Coral Reef and Living Creatures�exhibit

Mr Don Stewart,Deputy Dir ectorof SPREPspeaking at theof ficial launch ofthe Pacific Yearof the Coral Reefc ampa i gn

As mentioned earlier, the campaign slogan is�Coral Reefs: Their Health, Our Future!� becausehealthy coral reefs in the Pacific Islands help providea healthy future for our people. Corals are livinganimals. If we take care of them, they will takecare of us. Helping coral reefs is helping ourselves.

Courtesy of the G

ould League of V

ictoria

Adult polyps

Planula

New polyp

New colonyforms


Country Name Organisation Fax No.

American Samoa Punipao lagai-Nagalapedi Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary (684) 633 7355

Australia Chris Bleakey Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (616) 247 5761(GBRMPA)

Australia Will Oxley Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) (677) 725 852

Cook Islands Edith Ngariu Cook Islands Environment Service (682) 212 47Cook Islands Jacqueline Evans Taporoporoanga Ipukarea Society (682) 252 14

FSM Dept. of External Affairs (691) 320 2933FSM Spensin James Micronesian Island Conservation Inc. (MIC) (691) 320 2479

Fiji Eleni Rova Dept. of Environment (679) 312 879Fiji Aisake Batibasaga Fisheries Division (679) 361 184Fiji Curley Carswell Fiji Dive Operators Association (679) 850 344Fiji Steve Solomon SOPAC (679) 370 040Fiji Ruth Lechte (679) 721 246

French Polynesia Annie Aubanel Delegation a l�environnement (689) 419 252

Guam Michael J. Gawel Environmental Protection Agency (671) 477 9402

Kiribati Andrew S. Teem Environment Unit (686) 283 34Kiribati Temakei Tebano Atoll Research Programme, USP (686) 213 48

Marshall Islands Anwest P. Eleas Environmental Protection Agency (692) 625 5202

Nauru Joseph Cain Dept. of Island Development and Industry (674) 444 3791

New Caledonia Dr. Tim Adams SPC (687) 263 818

Niue Brendon Pasisi Dept. of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (683) 407 9

CNMI John Furey Coastal Resource Management Office (670) 234 0007

Palau Demei Otobed Bureau of Natural Resources and Development (680) 488 1475

PNG Walain Ulaiwi Dept. of Environment andConservation (675) 325 9192PNG John Rewald Motupore Island Research Station, UPNG (675) 325 8093PNG William Asigau East Hiri Coastal Zone Management Programme (675) 325 9192

Samoa Posa Skeltin Department of Agriculture (685) 2003 7

Solomon Islands Bernard Telei Ministry of Environment and Conservation (677) 212 45

Tokelau Makalio Ioano Dept. Natural Resources and Environment (685) 217 61

Tonga Sione Tukia Lepa Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources (676) 232 16Netatua Prescott Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources

Tuvalu Nicholas Apinelu Tuvalu Fisheries Division (688) 203 46

Vanuatu Robert Jimmy Fisheries Dept. (678) 236 41Vanuatu Jo Dorras Wan Smol Bag Theatre Group (678) 253 08

Campaign NetworkFor those interested in finding out about the national activities

happening in their respective countries. Please contact the people or organisation/agency listed below.


Pacific Islands MarineResources Information System

From the collection of marine information to advisory roles, workshops and library experience, the Pacific IslandsMarine Resources Information System (PIMRIS) is proving itself to be at the centre of fisheries and marine informationin the Pacific island countries.

IMRIS is a joint project of theSouth Pacific Applied Geo-science Commission, the ForumFisheries Agency, South Pacific

For further information on PIMRIS,contact:

Coordinatorc/o USP LibraryPO Box 1168SuvaFijiTel: 679 313900; Fax: 679 300830Email: [email protected]

PIMRIS organises workshops, training andwork experience attachments for all FisheriesDepartment librarians on general libraryoperations, management and database creationand information dissemination using CDS/ISISdatabase software.

SPREP Library and Information Centre. Library staff, Mr Lucas Dosung and Ms SatuiBentin seen here, hard at work

LibrarianSPREPPO Box 240ApiaSamoaTel: 685 21929; Fax 685 20231Email: [email protected]

PCommission and the University of theSouth Pacific. The South Pacific RegionalEnvironment Programme joined as acooperating institution in 1994.

The PIMRIS Steering Committee servesas an advisory body on protocols forinformation exchange and resourcesharing; and provides guidance anddirection to the network. The membershipof this Steering Committee includes thePIMRIS Coordinator (from USP Library),as well as librarians from SPC, SOPAC,SPREP and FFA. Representatives from thefunding agencies and National Fisheriesact as observers.

All marine and fisheries libraries in theregion use PIMRIS as the regional centrefor marine resources information throughan inter-library loan scheme, circulationof publication lists and the PIMRISnewsletter. The SPREP library benefitsfrom this scheme on a regular basis.

Or


he South Pacific Regional Environment Programme is pleased toannounce the commencement of the Pacific Regional Waste Awarenessand Education Programme. The European Union has generouslyprovided funding totalling 600,000 European Currency Units (ECU),

Waste Awareness andEducation Programme

For more information contact:Mr Andrew Munro

Waste Management andPollution Prevention OfficerSPREPPO Box 240Apia, SamoaEmail: [email protected]

Avoid building pig pens andtoilets on the shoreline

Take only what you need andeat what you take

Observe traditional customs tohelp manage your coral reefs

Tread carefully when walking,swimming, snorkeling andboating on and around coralreefs

Do not use destructive fishingmethods such as poison anddynamite on the reefs

Do not let untreated sewagerun straight into the sea

Use moorings instead ofanchoring to coral reefs

Use alternative materials whereappropriate for building

Help promote awareness of thevalue of coral reefs

Participate and support coralreef awareness programmes

Pass these messages on to yourfriends and relatives

N O T I C E

Tapproximately US$700,00, for this two year programme. The programmerecognises that � as with many activities in the South Pacific � one of thekeys to success is the involvement of Pacific communities. Therefore, its aim isto assist countries with waste management by concentrating on raising publicawareness in two areas: the consequences of inadequate waste management; andcommunity involvement in managing their own wastes. Since funding isprovided by the European Union, the programme will be confined to the AsiaCarribean Pacific (ACP) States of Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa,Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The objective of the programme is to prevent or minimise waste productionand disposal in the ACP States. Activities of the programme include:

• acquisition of information relating to solid waste management in the ACPStates;

• development of a multimedia regional programme of general wasteawareness education;

• implementation of the programme in the ACP States;

• identification and development of further country and theme specificawareness and education campaigns;

• implementation of some of these specific campaigns;

• identification of priority legislative measures relating to waste management;and

• encouragement and assistance to the implementation of recycling activitiesin the ACP States.

Recruiting procedures for a Programme Coordinator will commence shortlyfollowed by an identification of country priorities leading to the commencementof the education campaign. SPREP considers the programme to have greatpotential in assisting the overall regional objective of ensuring wastes are managedin a manner commensurate with both environmental and health goals and looksforward to the commencement of the programme with enthusiasm. Pacificcommunities are invited to participate in the programme over the coming months.

For more information contact:Ms Lucille Apis-Overhoff

Wetlands and Mangroves OfficerSPREPPO Box 240Apia, SamoaEmail: [email protected]

What can I doto protect Coral Reefs?


Educational resourcesdeveloped in VanuatuSPREP�s Environmental Education Officer, Mrs Gisa Salesa-Uesele conducteda resource development workshop from 7�18 October, 1996 in Port Vila,Vanuatu. It aimed at developing materials to assist the Government, churchesand NGOs in Vanuatu in their environmental education awareness campaigns.

he workshop was the fourth offive activities in the AusAID-funded Regional Envir onmentEducation Awareness Project

conducted with teachers, churches andmedia earlier in 1996, the need formaterials to support and assist awarenesscampaigns was highlighted. In each ofthese workshops, specific materials andmessages were identified. The Environ-

mental Unit fine-tuned and prioritisedthese needs to the kind of materialsrequired.

The workshop went straight to task andproduced three information booklets onPopulation and Resources, the Protection ofMangroves and the Importance of our CoralReefs. A fact sheet and posters were alsoproduced. All of these are being producedto camera-ready stage at SPREP and willbe distributed in Vanuatu beginning inAugust 1997.

Some very good artwork (displayed here),was produced by the two ni-Vanuatuartists, Andrew Tovuvu and Moses Jobowho attended the workshop.

Tinvolving Vanuatu, Marshall Islands andCook Islands. During other workshops

For more information contact:

Mrs Gisa Salesa-UeseleEnvironmental EducationOfficer

Or

Ms Tiare Turang HolmEnvironmental Education(Curriculum Development)Officer (Palau CountryAttachment Trainee)SPREPPO Box 240Apia, SamoaE-mail: [email protected]


Tackling climate changeClimate change and sea-level rise are two of the greatest challenges to small island environments. A three phaseproject, designed in association with Environment Australia, hopes to make Pacific island countries moreindependent in responding to the challenge.

A joint SPREP/Environment Australiaworkshop and training on the assessmentof and r esponse to the coastal impacts ofclimate change and coastal hazards wasconducted in February 1997. Theworkshop is part of a three-phase projectwhich aims to:

1. contribute to capacity-building inPacific island countries in assessmentof and response to the coastal impactsof climate change; and

2. to improve communication betweenthe Australian Government, Pacificisland countries and SPREP, withrespect to impacts of climate changeand sea-level rise on small atoll islands.

Environment Australia is funding theinitiative, with Ms Louise Rose acting asthe Principal Coordinator of the project.

The first phase of this project, which wascarried out between 27 September and 10October 1996, involved preliminary visitsto atoll nations and the preparation of in-country material for the workshop. Thecountries�including Tuvalu, Kiribati, theRepublic of the Marshall Islands and theFederated States of Micronesia�werevisited by two Programme Officers fromSPREP and a Professor from theUniversity of New South Wales.

Through direct face-to-face meetings withlocal environment staff, they identifiedclimate change and sea-level rise issuesimportant and relevant to each country.This approach enables vulnerabilityassessment and response strategies to betailored to the local environments. It alsocomplements the guiding principles in the1997�2000 SPREP Action Plan, whichemphasises the importance of buildingindependent capability in the Pacific islandcountries, with the full involvement andparticipation of those countries.

The key issues relating to the impacts ofsea-level rise raised during Phase 1 talkswere:

• coastal erosion;

• water resources;

• overcrowding settlements; and

• pollution.

The key response/adaptation options foraddressing sea-level rise impacts wereidentified as:

• coastal protection measures(e.g. beach nourishment treeplanting);

• water conservation;

• resettlement (inter- and intra-atollislands); and

• waste management.These broad strategies can be addressedusing traditional or contemporary prac-tices and technologies. The tools andresources identified included informationand data management such as inventoriesand coastal resource maps, economicevaluation techniques, legislation such as

This approach . . . complements the guidingprinciples in the 1997–2000 SPREP Action Plan,which emphasises the importance of buildingindependent capability in the Pacific island countries.

EIA, project proposal evaluation andpolicy.

Phase 2 involves a workshop aimed atdiscussing the issues and material arisingfrom Phase 1 of the project. In Phase 3,priority actions that have been identifiedduring the workshop will be followed up.

Inevitably, all the atoll nations in the SouthPacific will be affected by climate changeand sea-level rise. However, in appreciatingthat every country is unique with regardsto its environment, we can see that therecan be no single all-encompassing solutionto the climate change-related challenges oftomorrow. We believe that the upcomingPhase 2 workshop will assist individualatoll nations in responding to thesechallenges.

Stormclouds, a spectacular climatic event


IN THE NEXT ISSUE ...SAP:What is SAP and what will it do forthe region? The Global EnvironmentFacility (GEF) break new grounds inthe Pacific through its InternationalWaters Program. Find out more in thenext issue.

SPREP/USP/SPC collaboration:The trend is for regional organisationsto collaborate and use each othersresources nowadays. One such eventwill be elaborated in the nextnewsletter.

Education Resource Materials:The Environment Education unit hasbeen busy conducting in-countryactivities. The products, materials andoutputs will be revealed in the nextissue.

SPREP�s Training the Trainers inEIA WorkshopsFind out about these three Sub-regional workshops and of theirbenefits to the region. Mr Onorio,SPREP�s Environmental ImpactAssessment Officer will explain thesein detail.Exciting times lie ahead for your Secretariat, in the environment of the new SPREP

Action Plan. However, there will be some old friends who will not be there. Mr NukuJones and Mr Alex Williams are two long serving staff members who have nowdeparted.

SPREP newcomers

Ms Tiare Turang Holm joins the Environ-mental Education, Information andCoordination Division as EnvironmentalEducation (Curriculum Development)Officer. Tiare is from Palau and will be atSPREP for 12 months (until January 1998)under the SPREP Attachment TraineeScheme. She works closely with Mrs GisaSalesa-Uesele (Environmental EducationOfficer) developing education resourcematerials for use by SPREP membercountries.

young Kaiser and Sina are happy to beback�home.

SPREP farewells

Mr Nuku Jones vacates the position ofHead of Finance and Administration. Heleaves SPREP having been central to manyof the physical changes at the Secretariat.He and his family have the best wishesfrom all the staff as they re-establish theirlives back in New Zealand

Mr Alex Williams, leaves SPREP havingestablished a strong computer technologyinfrastructure for the organisation. Alexbecame a very valued colleague. Hispersonality, professional attitude and beliefin SPREP is still very much visible in theSecretariat for those who were in constantcontact with him. Alex is now in Australia,a happy grandfather to healthy twins.

Mrs Leigh Pu�epu�ema�i departs for familyreasons to American Samoa.

The staff wish the SPREP leavers all thebest in their future endeavours.

SPREP staff update

Tonga wins regionalartwork competition

Tonga was the big winner in the RegionalArt Competition, coordinated by thePacific Year of the Coral Reef campaign,winning two of the three categories.Western Samoa was the other winner.

Kulimoe�anga Maka (far left) and �AmipeliasiTu�akoi (far right) receiving their awards for theregional artwork competition in the SouthPacific. Presenting the awards are NetatuaPrescott and �Amanaki Puniani

The SPREP retreat was and historically, had always been an important exercise. It allowsthe Secretariat to strengthen and build teamwork; analyse and focus its approach forthe coming year. Therefore, this year�s retreat was of even greater importance on twocounts: to align the Secretariat with the goals and guidelines of the 1997�2000 SPREPAction Plan; and to provide an ideal opportunity to meet and work with new Director,Mr Tutangata, and vice versa. The thoughts and issues that were highlighted anddiscussed during the plenary sessions augurs well for a highly productive year. MrTutangata, stressed the importance of getting the message across to the grassroots level,by working much closer with member countries at this level.

SPREPR e t r e a t

Beginninggr oupdiscussionswith aprayer

Mr Samuelu Sesega, joined SPREP inMarch 1997 as Biodiversity Officer(Resource Management) under SPREP�sSouth Pacific Biodiversity ConservationProgramme (SPBCP). Sam is Samoanfrom the village of Fagaloa. He has a longhistory of working in the environment,having previously worked for the SamoaEnvironment Unit and recently at theSouth Pacific Commission (SPC) for thepast two years. He and Bronwyn, with


Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment (SEA) Report:Neiafu Master Plan Vava�u,Kingdom of Tonga

Third SPREP Meeting of MeteorologicalService Directors (ISBN: 982-04-0158-5)

Sustainable Development of TraditionalMedicines and Non-Timber Products.Proceedings of the Workshop. 16-20 October1995. West Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.(ISBN: 982-04-0162-3)

National Confer ence on SustainableDevelopment. Confer ence Report. 21-23May 1996. Port Vila, Vanuatu (ISBN: 982-04-0159-3)

Integration of Environmental, Social andEconomic Sustainability for Vanuatu.Sustainable Development: An InformationPackage for Vanuatu. (also published inBislama and French) (ISBN: 982-04-0163-1)

Evaluation of the Implications of the UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Seafor SPREP Activities. April 1996 (ISBN:982-04-0161-5)

Report of the Meetings of Officials, NinthSPREP Meeting . 25-27 November 1996.

Nuku�alofa, Kingdom of Tonga.(ISBN: 982-04-0166-6)

Report of the Ministerial Meeting , NinthSPREP Meeting . 27-28 November 1996.Nuku�alofa, Kingdom of Tonga.(ISBN: 982-04-0171-2)

1997�2000 Action Plan for Managing theEnvir onment of the South Pacific Region(ISBN: 982-04-0170-4)

1996 Progress Report of the SPREP/AusAIDEnvironmental Education Awareness Project

The Convention to Ban the Importation intoForum Island Countries of Hazardous andRadioactive Wastes and to Control theTransboundar y Movement and Managementof Hazardous Wastes within the SouthPacific Region (Waigani Convention)

Books, videos, slides andother materials fromSPREP and otherenvironmentalorganisations in thePacific islands

en

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This report present results of strategicenvironmental assessment of developmentprojects that have been proposed for thetown of Neiafu on the island of UtaVava�u, Tonga, as part of the Vava�uDevelopment Programme.

Various project proposals have beendescribed in the Neiafu Master Plan,published in 1993. This report intends notto provide details but merely to provide abrief overview of the Stategic EnvironmentAssessment (SEA) of the Master Plan. Itassesses the broad environmental impactsof all projects involved in the plan on thePort of Refuge and the township of Neiafu.

The SEA process, in common with all EIAactivities, is a basic tool for the promotionof sustainable development. It emphasises

thinking through the environmentalconsequences of proposed developmentsbefore committing to the proposal. In thisway, when making final decisions, stepscan be taken to enhance long termsustainability.

Onorio, Komeri and Morgan, Richard K.Strategic Environmental Assessment(SEA) Report: Neiafu Master PlanVava�u Kingdom of Tonga. Apia,Western Samoa: SPREP, 1996. 19pp.ISBN: 982-04-0157-7

SPREP

new releases PostersCoral Reefs: Their Health Our Futur e(A2 and A4) Available in French and EnglishVideos1. Coral Reefs: Their Health Our Future2. Problems in the Pacific Island

Environment

Target area of theStrategicEnv i r onmentAssessment (SEA)in the NeiafuMasterplan


Meetings January to June 1997

DATES MEETING VENUE ORGANISATION

January

20�23 WMO Secretary-General Mission for relocation Apia SPREP/WMO/of Asia and South-West Pacific Sub-regional office Government of Samoa

February

10�13 Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Workshop Tarawa SPREPon Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptationfor Atoll Nations

11 Regional �Launch� for the Pacific Year of the Apia SPREPCoral Reef Campaign

26�27 Task Force Meeting on New SPREP Headquarters Apia SPREP

March

20 Launch of the �Coral Reef Their Health, Our Future� Apia SPREPvideo documentary

April

14�18 Training of Trainers in Environmental Impact Apia SPREPAssessment Sub-regional (Polynesia) Workshop

May

5�23 Training Attachment for the 8th Pacific Sea Level Adelaide SPREPand Climate Change Monitoring Project at theNational Tidal Facility University

12�14 Third Meeting of the SPREP Working Group Rarotonga SPREPon Climate Change

26�30 Environmental Impact Assessment Training of Apia SPREP/GovernmentTrainers In-country (Samoa) Workshop of Samoa

June

5�6 Task Force Meeting on Strategic Action Apia SPREPProgram for International Waters

30 June to 11 July Training of Trainers in Environmental Impact Vanuatu SPREPAssessment Sub-regional (Melanesia) Workshop

Air Mail

Printed Matter

Published by:South Pacific Regional

Environment Programme (SPREP)PO Box 240, Apia, SamoaTelephone: (+685) 21929

Fax: (+685) 20231E-mail: [email protected]

The last word

The three major events that have occurredduring the period of this issue of yourEnvironment Newsletter have been theNinth SPREP Meeting, the official launchof the Pacific Year of the Coral Reefcampaign and the possible relocation ofthe World Meteorological Organization�sAsia and South-West Pacific (ASWP) Sub-regional office to SPREP. Each event willhave lasting effects on the environment ofthe Pacific region as we head into the nextcentury.

The Ninth SPREP Meeting has given theorganisation a new Action Plan to guideits activities and a new Director to providedirection towards the challenges that lieahead.

The second major event is the Pacific Yearof the Coral Reef. As part of the globalInternational Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)held in late 1995, it was agreed that 1997

be designated the International Year of theCoral Reef. At press time, the Pacific is theonly region that has officially launchedand implemented its activities. Coordi-nated by SPREP through its Mangrovesand Wetlands Officer, Ms Lucille Apis-Overhoff, and with enthusiastic supportby the Pacific Island governments, thiscampaign has already raised the profile ofthe plight of coral reefs world-wide.Funding support, mainly from theAustralian and New Zealand governments,and in collaboration with other regionaland international agencies, has enabled thecampaign to be as successful as it is rightnow. However, there is a long road to hoeand extra funding support from theinternational community would go a longway towards making the campaign an evenbigger success.

The third event have been the talksbetween SPREP and the World Meteo-

rological Organization regarding therelocation of its Asia and South-WestPacific Sub-regional office within theSPREP Secretariat (background informa-tion is available on page 4 of this issue)

As demands on the Secretariat increase, theSPREP retreat in February of this year wasan excellent opportunity to buildteamwork, coordination and focus for thelong and arduous year in progress. Thepublication sector will focus more of itsresources to keep its audience informed ofthese activities. At the same time, we lookforward to your queries and requestsregarding activities and products of yourenvironment organisation.

Fatu Tauafiafi, Editorwith Carole Hunter

environment · 2008-07-30 · supportive. there is now a clear international consensus that...

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