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OPOC to strengthen ocean governance in the region

August 2, 2019 12:25 pm

[Source : Photo UN]

The Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner under the Pacific Islands Forum aims to coordinate more effective responses from regional governments when it comes to policies affecting our ocean and seas.

OPOC’s Oceans Analyst Peni Suveinakama says with the UN Decade for Ocean Science set to begin in two years, the time now can be used to assess where the region is when it comes to strong ocean programs and laws.

“There’s a lot of ocean policies, they will not back down, they will continue to grow, but it’s time to take a stop take of what we have and see whether we are effectively addressing them through the programs underneath the respective regional organizations.”

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OPOC is responsible for the overarching coordination of ocean governance.

Meanwhile, Fiji’s J. Hunter is initiating the innovative Blue Pledge, touted to be a sound economic formula with an ocean conservation twist.

Owner Justin Hunter says they’re creating jobs with a clean environment by merging conservation and economic returns.

 

“The Blue Pledge is a way private sector can engage in the blue economy and because Pearl Farming is inherently merged with a pristine environment and wherever you have pearl farms, you’ve got qasi MPAs (Marine Protected Areas), you know we’ve got MPAs all over the world but what’s different is when you’ve got private sector with a vested interest in water quality because otherwise, our product dies.”

Through the pledge, Hunters says 10 percent from the sale of the luxury brand will go back to the community where the pearls are currently farmed, safeguarding oceans and sustaining livelihoods.