Defining a Pacific Blue Economy and developing a road map for it is top of the agenda at the Pacific Islands Development Forum’s first high level meeting which opened in Suva today.
Incumbent COP23 president and Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, reiterated the call for collective action on sustainable oceans and better management of ocean resources.
In line with the global goal – SDG 14 and in a follow up from the UN Oceans conference in June, Bainimarama highlighted the importance of the seas not only to the economic development of the region but the relationship to its people, cultures and histories rooted in the ocean environment.
Bainimarama told conference delegates, promoting blue economic development is imperative as it will help deal with the challenges of illegal overfishing and waste disposal into our oceans to name two.
The PM stressing that it is a hard truth to accept, but in some ways, it is already too late with the temperature already one degree above the pre-industrial age.
The conference will aim to hold discussions and break-out sessions to identify areas of the blue economy that is been piloted in other parts of the world that has had much success such as the Seychelles and Grenada.
PIDF Secretary General, Francois Martel, says at the end of the two day conference, there will be an outline of a blueprint for a Pacific Blue Economy that will guide sustainable development of ocean resources.
