Page 5 - IB May 2018 Edition

PACIFIC CONVERSATION WITH SPREP

Pacific Protected Areas – protecting our

natural heritage for future generations

Our protected areas were established to protect the best of our remaining natural terrestrial, wetlands and marine areas for current
generations, they are our key legacy to gift to future generations of Pacific islanders. However, only about 5% of the Pacific’s land
and 2% of the marine area currently have some form of protection, and few protected areas are adequately managed.

Did you know?

ƒ Our global target for protected areas is the conservation and effective management of 10% of coastal and marine and 17% of
terrestrial areas

ƒ The Pacific has a one of the highest rates of species extinctions of any region in the world especially for birds, and in recent history
islands have had 80% of all known species extinctions.

Why should Pacific islanders care?
Our protected areas help safeguard our native, endemic and threatened plants and animals, they also help maintain healthy and
functioning ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves and coral reefs, maintain regular and clean water supply, protect our soils
from erosion and increase the resilience of our islands to climate change.
Pacific island cultures have a deep spiritual connection with nature. Our cultures, society and livelihoods evolved from an intimate
connection with nature which supplied all our needs and continues to provide most of the resources our economies depend on.
Pacific island cultures have historically set aside land and sea for temporary or permanent protection of natural resources such as
rahui or raui, and tapu or tabu areas. Modern methods of protected area management enhance and complement our Pacific island
traditional approaches.

Our choices, our actions, our protected areas.
To learn more about protected areas in your
country, why they are important and what you Make the right choice, have that
can do to help keep them intact, please visit Pacific conversation today.
pipap.sprep.org and www.biopama.org © Stuart Chape
Let’s all work together to make a difference!

DONORS AND IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS
This was funded through the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management
PO Box 240 Programme (BIOPAMA). BIOPAMA aims to improve the long-term conservation and
sustainable use of natural resources in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries,
Apia, Samoa in protected areas and surrounding communities. It is an initiative of the ACP Group
+685 21929 of States financed by the European Union’s 11th European Development Fund (EDF),
jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and
sprep@sprep.org the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). In the Pacific region it
www.sprep.org is implemented in partnership by IUCN’s Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO) and the Islands Business, November 2017 5
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).