Cook Islands 2002 Forges the Direction for Nature Conservation
in the Pacific
By
Fatu Tauafiafi
South Pacific
Regional Environment Programme
Information and Publications Officer
In 2000,
the most important meeting for nature conservation in the Pacific
was in danger as the Solomon Islands pulled out as the host.
As is usually the case, the Cook Islands came to the rescue
and offered to host the conference in 2002. This week, the 7th
Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected
Areas takes place right here in the cradle of Polynesia-the
Cook Islands and bringing over 300 people to our island.
Part
of a four-yearly series, the conference brings together people
and organisations that are interested in nature conservation
in the Pacific to review progress made, debate issues and identify
future priorities and action to take. In the process, the series
has evolved since the first in 1977 to become the Pacific’s
premier nature conservation forum.
With
its theme of mainstreaming nature conservation the Cook Islands
conference has expanded the list of stakeholders to include
trade specialists, policy and economic development specialists,
travel and tourism representatives, legislators and others.
This recognises that nature conservation, whilst essential to
the achievement of sustainable development in the region, is
still perceived to be on the outside to economic development
planning and decision-making.
It is
important that this mindset changes if nature conservation is
to progress and genuine sustainable use of resources is to be
achieved. But why are our natural resources so important ?
For
one thing, the Pacific islands region is amongst the richest
and most diverse in the world. It has more rare, endangered
and threatened species per capita than anywhere else on earth.
Its marine environment comprises an enormous and largely unexplored
resource, including the most extensive and diverse reefs in
the world, the largest tuna fishery, the deepest oceanic trenches
and the healthiest remaining population of many globally threatened
species including whales, sea turtles, dugongs and saltwater
crocodiles, the list goes on.
In the
Pacific, there are a lot of conservation activities and there
is a clear need for these multitude of independent efforts to
protect biodiversity in the region to be properly coordinated
The many players operating in different sites and countries
will benefit significantly from the pooling of resources and
the greater sharing of expertise.
To help
coordinate these actions, the Cook Islands conference has four
objectives that will guide conservation actions for the next
four to five years : (1) review progress in implementing the
1999-2002 Action Strategy for Nature Conservation in the Pacific
islands region ; (2) identify and debate new and emerging issues
and determining regional priorities for nature conservation
in the next quadrennial (2003-2007) ; (3) provide a forum for
the free exchange and sharing of conservation experiences, lessons
learned and best practices in nature conservation ; and (4)
facilitate networking and forge partnerships amongst all nature
conservation stakeholders.
The
challenge to protecting the Pacific’s rich biodiversity has
not been without its barriers.
As Pacific
economies become increasingly cash driven and coupled with increasing
populations, the pressure on the environment and natural resources
also increases. Today, the loss of habitats and species due
to agriculture, logging, residential and infrastructural developments
and the over-harvesting of resources remain the major threats
to biodiversity conservation. Although significant strides have
been made in the protection of many endangered ecosystems and
species, the overall situation demands even more urgent and
committed actions on many fronts.
An important
output of past Conferences is its contribution to the updating
of the regional strategy for nature conservation. This document
identifies the critical and priority issues and actions for
nature conservation in the region for the four years following.
The
2002 Cook Islands conference will review the current Action
Strategy both in terms of progress in its implementation and
to ensure its continuing relevance to the priorities of the
region. An updated strategy based on inputs from this conference
as well as further consultations at the national and regional
level will then be produced.
We are
also aware that our natural heritage can also provide for our
communities.
In one
of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s activities,
the South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Programme
(SPBCP), ecotourism was found to be the most popular income
generating activity amongst conservation areas under its care.
Five of the Conservation Areas directly operated tour activities
themselves, or facilitated and supported landowning communities
to operate tours within their areas. While a further two concentrated
on managing the activities of other tour operators in their
area.
Our
own, Takitumu Conservation Area, has had one of the most successful
of the SPBCP ecotourism experiences.
SPBCP
has demonstrated that income-generation based on the sustainable
use of natural resources and biodiversity is an essential part
of community-based conservation, income-generating activities
are important for gaining and increasing community support,
pride and participation in their conservation area. Moreover,
communities are often unwilling to commit to conservation without
some form of “reasonable compensation”. As John Pita, the Arnavon
Islands conservation
area support officer writes in his ecotourism case study,
“community based conservation areas cannot function without
a viable income generating activity such as ecotourism in the
long run”.
The
SPBPC experience also demonstrates that ecotourism is an important
option for income generation which is commonly available to
local communities in the conservation context. This is perhaps
not surprising given that Conservation Areas, and the natural
environment they are based on, are often well suited to providing
the natural experiences that tourists increasingly demand.
Linkages
are being developed between this Conference and the World
Parks Congress to be held in Durban, South Africa in 2003.
A number of case studies based on the outputs of the 7th
Pacific Islands Conference will be presented during the 2003
Parks Congress to highlight Pacific islands experience in marine
protected areas and community-based conservation. The World
Parks Congress is a ten yearly event, which provides the major
global forum for setting the agenda for protected areas.
The
conference, which ends this Friday, has been made possible by
the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and its partners
in the Pacific Island Roundtable on Nature Conservation, together
with the assistance of the Cook Islands and all stakeholders
who have contributed to making this event a reality.
