Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji is investing heavily in the blue economy in a bid to create 100,000 new jobs by 2050.
Speaking at the Blue Pacific Leaders Ocean panel on Monday, he said they were working to bolster their long-term economic resilience by investing in the planet.
“Friends, nobody will ever care for and advocate for our people like we will, and that’s a fact,” he said.
Mr Bainimarama said as a steward of 1.3 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, Fiji recently announced new ambitious commitments at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon.
“From already banning deep seabed mining to planning for 100 per cent Fijian waters to be sustainably managed by 2030.
“From establishing the lowest seascape marine protected areas by 2024 to slashing our shipping sectors’ carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2050.
“Critically, we are investing heavily in the blue economy, in which we intend to create 100,000 new jobs by 2050, more than a tenth of our current population.”
He said through unity, the Pacific could leverage far greater accountability from the rest of the world.
“We are already working together on several important initiatives.”
He said deep sea mining had no place in a sustainable blue economy.
“As a united Pacific, we not only have the responsibility, but also the capability to establish a blue Pacific world of protected ocean.”
