With post-COVID state of affairs and impact to our national economy including the compounding global economic crisis, it is undoubtedly certain that Fiji needs an improved way forward that advocates and prioritises the conservation and resilience of our ocean economy.
President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere made the comment while officiating at Fiji’s first Seascape symposium which is currently underway at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
He reminded those present at the symposium that as ocean stewards their responsibility was to their greatest resource – the oceans.
“Our responsibility lies in learning more about the issues that plague our waters and consolidating our resources at the local, regional and global levels to execute the goals and objectives that have been set in place to address the issues affecting our oceans,” he said.
Ratu Wiliame highlighted that the symposium was the first which is jointly organised between the Government of Fiji, Fiji’s civil society and NGO’s from the conservation community.
He said this partnership was testament of the Government’s commitment to the cause of the conservation of nature, as well as the long-standing cooperation between the Government and its NGO partners to conserve our unique yet vulnerable ecosystems.
“Fiji possesses a large maritime domain that contributes greatly to the national economy, provides recreation, food and income as well as many other benefits available to the coastal communities.”
Meanwhile, stakeholders that are part of the symposium are the Fijian Government, Conservation International Fiji, Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji, Oceania International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The Fiji Seascape Symposium is a collaborative initiative with major funding support from the Fiji Government, Blue Nature Alliance, WWF, Ocean 5, Bloomberg Philanthropies Vibrant Oceans, Initiative, as well as the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership Programme (PEUMP) and funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden.
