Stronger commitment from Pacific Island Leaders is needed to raise awareness on the importance of marine resources and the status of the Pacific Ocean.
The comment was made recently by World Wide Fund for Nature Pacific-Representative Kesaia Tabunakawai in the lead up to the upcoming study of the direct economic and societal value of the ocean assets of the Melanesian region which will be launched next month.
Tabunakawai highlighted that as the Pacific prepares for the Oceans Summit in June of 2017 in Fiji, stronger partnerships and commitment is needed.
She says, there needs to be recognition that the ocean is far more than Fish and that in fact, a healthy ocean provides opportunities for Tourism, Education, Trade and Transportation.
In 2014, the WWF commissioned a global study to consider the overall asset base of the Pacific Ocean by analyzing the services provided by the various components which included coral reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, fisheries and coastal areas.
The study had valued the global oceans resources and services at more than US$24 trillion.
