Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) is celebrating World Oceans day with its stakeholder’s partners at the Motupore Island Research Centre.
The program is supported by PNG Coral Triangle Initiative National Coordinating Committee.
Partners include USAID, UPNG, Pacific Adventist University, Prime Minister's Department and NEC, World Wide Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Coral Sea Foundation, Sea Women of Melanesia, USAID Lukautim Graun project, Hiri Coral and members of Locally Managed Marine Resources.
The two day celebration started today with a seminar.
Stakeholders made presentations, including the University of PNG who raised concerns of deteriorating marine life and shoreline vegetation, specifically coral species and mangroves.
It was expressed by presenters that it is important to conserve the marine life for future generations. As it is now, coral reef has been destroyed by excessive fishing methods but most especially the use of dynamite for fishing.
Igo Gari of Hiri Coral, who did a presentation on Coral Seaweed Planting efforts along the Bootless Bay and the Hiri coast line said with the current rate of overfishing and destruction of coral reefs, seaweed and other marine life, certain types of fishes like the parrot fish which feed on algae at the bottom of the coral reefs will disappear in this lifetime.
However despite the gloomy story of the destruction to the seas and marine life, it is enlightening to see locally grown NGOs like the Coral Sea Foundation, Sea Women of Melanesian, Hiri Coral and other Locally Managed Marine Areas making great efforts in saving and preserving marine life.