Spotlight on Ocean Resources at CRGA, 13. November 2012, SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia

‘With water covering some 98.5 per cent of the region’s total area, it is not surprising that many countries and territories regard marine resources as the key to their future development,’ says Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. ‘
But benefitting from ocean resources is a complex challenge involving technical issues, including international law, a wide range of stakeholders and often competing priorities. In fact, we know much less about the ocean than the land.’
The annual meeting of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s governing body, which is under way this week at its headquarters in Noumea, will look at some of these key challenges and proposed solutions for responsible use and conservation of our ocean.
Specific areas that SPC works on include oceanic fisheries science, coastal fisheries management, maritime boundaries, deep-sea minerals, coastal erosion and deposition, shipping services for small island states, safety at sea and marine pollution.
2012 has seen unprecedented interest in oceans at both global and regional levels. The theme of the 43rd Pacific Islands Forum, ‘Large Ocean Island States – the Pacific Challenge’ focused attention on what is the region’s greatest natural asset. The Rio+20 process, the launch of the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Oceans and our very own Pacific Oceanscape initiative are examples of commitments that acknowledge the value of our oceans.
The 42nd Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA), the annual meeting of SPC’s governing body, started yesterday and runs until 16 November 2012. It brings together government representatives from SPC’s 26 member countries, and observers from regional and international agencies.

For more information, please contact:
Rajan Sami, Press Officer for CRGA (email: rajans@spc.int);
Or Jean-Noël Royer, Assistant Communication Officer (email: jeannoelr@spc.int)