Page 31 - IB FEB 2019

Indepth

ban on driftnet fishing; invested in key partnerships to help address one. From extreme weather events to sea level rise, from slowed
IUU fishing; have lobbied for the stand alone SdG Goal 14 on Oceans economic growth to biodiversity loss, the report speaks to the risks
and continue to call for its effective implementation. Our region also of exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius. For our blue pacific continent, it
has a total of 346 marine protected areas. We as Leaders of the re- is a risk we cannot afford.
gion have committed to fast track the development of policies to ban The coral reefs, that provide about 70% of the protein in the
the use of single-use plastic bags, plastic and styrofoam packaging diet of pacific Islanders and that help provide protection to at least
and we called on pacific Rim partners to join and commit to action 50% of the pacific people living within 1.5km of the coast, will be
on addressing marine pollution and marine debris. These are a few severely degraded at 1.5°C of warming, and will all but disappear at
examples to address some of the mounting negative impacts on the 2°C. healthy coral reefs attract tourism, which is a key industry that
health of the ocean, driven by human activity. These initiatives also generates USd4 billion for pacific Island countries. Ocean warming
highlight the value our region places in protecting and promoting the can mean huge losses in revenue, a turnover in species composition
development and security of the pacific Ocean. and changes in migration patterns of fish stocks. estimates suggest
Furthermore pacific Leaders in 2017 decided on a regional security that global fisheries catch will decrease by 3 million tonnes per
declaration and welcomed the extensive security discussions held degree Celsius of warming. This is worrying for fisheries-dependent
on an expanded concept of security inclusive of human security, nations like ours. The risk of irreversible loss of many marine and
humanitarian assistance, prioritising environmental security and coastal ecosystems increases with global warming, especially with
regional cooperation in building resilience to disasters and climate warming of 2°C or more.
change. pacific Leaders in 2018 adopted a Regional Security decla- The ocean however, has a two-way relationship with weather and
ration known as the Boe declaration which responds to the region’s climate. The ocean influences the weather, while changes in climate
complex and evolving regional security environment. An action plan can fundamentally alter many properties of the oceans. Clearly, the
for implementation, is being developed and we call on the Un and ocean is a key component of the climate system. Scientists continue
all partners for support in this regard. to highlight the critical role played by the Ocean in regulating the
Climate. The Ocean is one of the major sinks of carbon sequestra-
National Ocean Action tion and storage.
For Samoa at the Un Ocean Conference that focused on the imple- For us the ocean – climate “crosswalk” is clear. Addressing the
mentation of SdG14 on Ocean, we made 12 voluntary commitments adverse impacts of climate change and ensuring the conservation
in support of SdG14 implementation. These commitments included and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources are two key and
solid waste management efforts; approaches to address land-based interlinked priorities for our Blue pacific. Ocean and Climate Action
pollution through river and coastal health ecosystem monitoring, plus are two sides of the same coin.
policies and projects to manage plastics marine litter.
We also looked at efforts that involve communities in fisheries Oceans in UNFCCC
management and coastal infrastructure management plans that also I reiterate the importance of the inextricable links between ocean
help them build resilience and adapt to impacts of climate change. and climate. A key focus therefore of our engagement of the pacific
We have committed to ensuring improved scientific information and in the COp process is on this link and the need for Oceans to become
knowledge for more informed policy making on fisheries issues an integral part of the continuing climate change agenda. The launch-
and prohibiting the use of destructive fishing methods in Samoa’s ing of the Oceans pathway at COp23 led by pacific leaders sought to
fishery waters. address and strengthen actions related to the ocean–climate nexus.
In support of healthy ocean ecosystems which are under threat from I have earlier highlighted some of the devastating impacts for us at
plastic waste and marine litter, Samoa has restricted the importation above 1.5 degrees Celsius warming. Unfortunately, the IpCC 1.5 report
of plastic bags since the introduction of the plastic Bag prohibition confirms that the current commitments are far from sufficient and
on Importation Regulations 2006. will not achieve the paris Agreement’s warming limit of 1.5 degrees
We are taking further steps to address marine litter and have now Celsius. This is why the objective of the Talanoa dialogue is crucial.
instituted a ban on single use plastic bags and plastic straws which That is, we need to raise the level of ambition of the next round of
will take effect from January 2019. It is also intended that Styro- ndCs. We believe the ocean is key to raising these ambitions not only
foam food containers and cups will be banned once environmentally as the earth’s largest carbon sink, but it has the potential for clean
friendly options have been identified and are in use. And our public energy generation, a source of food security and supply, and a store-
has already responded proactively! house of ecosystems, which when healthy, can protect coastlines.
Climate change and Ocean Be Ocean inclusive
Sadly, despite our best efforts to sustainably manage the ocean, Oceans plays a critical role in achieving the ambitions of the paris
climate-change driven impacts such as ocean acidification are among Agreement and objectives of the UnFCCC. Therefore I stress the need
a number of serious threats to the health and resilience of our shared to ensure the relevant inclusion of the Ocean in this UnFCCC process.
ocean. We cannot speak about oceans in isolation and it should be I also call everyone to work together for genuine and durable
an integral part of our climate discussions. partnerships, that can turn Urgent Ocean Action into much needed
The recent IpCC Special 1.5 Report shows that a 1.5 degrees Ambitious Climate Action. - Courtesy of the Office of the pacific Ocean
Celsius of warming is not just a limit for SIdS, it’s a limit for every- Commissioner at the pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

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