‘More concerted effort needed for oceans conservation’

Excerpt from fijitimes.com

More concerted effort is needed for oceans conservation, says Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation for the Pacific Sujiro Seam.

While speaking at the Fiji Seascape Symposium last month, he highlighted how critical oceans were in the Pacific.

Mr Seam said it was pivotal for partners like the Seascapes in Fiji to work together to promote their partnership moving forward.

“You are all Pacific Islanders and people who live in the Pacific know how critical the oceans are,” he said.

Mr Seam said the ocean was also linked to climate change and that marine pollution, loss of marine biodiversity, trafficking and the whole sea-related threats were what the Pacific Island countries were currently facing.

He said oceans were among the key priorities of the European Union strategies, highlighting that the Pacific European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) was an investment of $45 million Euros over a period of five years from the European Union and the Government of Sweden.

“The programme provides direct assistance through regional organisations to support regional and national level activities in the Pacific.”