Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Rimbink Pato has also called on the 2016 Our Ocean conference leaders to support the Pacific Island countries with their day to day issues.
Pato informed the Conference that the Leaders of the Pacific made great contribution in helping to bring the world together in París to address the most important challenge of their times.
He said: “now, we need your support to address the challenges facing our islands. We are industrious people. We are fishing nations and islands. Our tuna stock feed Europe and the United States with more than 40 % of world tuna supply coming from the Waters of the Pacific Island Countries”.
He added that the fight against IUU has engaged this region and through regional cooperation and frameworks they have a world class regional surveillance system and a strong commitment to address IUU.
“In Papua New Guinea, the term Marine Protected Areas (MPA) has been applied in country to protect areas with current activities focusing on:
- Adequacy to ensure success of selected species;
- protection of biological processes;
- Resilience to natural disasters; and
- Connectivity — maintaining population links across our, and nearby, MPAs.