Page 11 - IB October 2021

“CLIMATE CHANGE IS OCEAN CHANGE”

AT COP26, GLOBAL LEADERS SHOULD CONSIDER THE PACIFIC WAY

By Susana Waqainabete-Tuisese, Senior Director, Pacific Oceans and Islands Program, Conservation International

Climate change is ocean change. This is a reality endorsed and make up
that has escaped much of the world’s attention, over three million square
but is daily life in the Pacific Islands. Today’s ocean kilometers of ocean, an
is warmer and more acidic, sea levels are rising, area roughly the size of
and extreme flooding events are occurring more India.
frequently, with dramatic and long-lasting impacts on THE ACTIONS OF THE PACIFIC TO PROTECT HUGE
life in the ocean and coastal communities. By the end AREAS OF OCEAN HAS MADE THE WORLD REALISE
of the century, most of the low-lying regions around THAT WE ARE NOT SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING
the world may face adaptation limits as sea levels STATES BUT LARGE OCEAN STATES. OUR REGION IS
continue to rise. LEADING THE WAY IN OCEAN MANAGEMENT THAT
BUILDS RESILIENCE BY BALANCING PROTECTION WITH
Pacific Islanders are amongst the most aware of SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
climate change. This is because we are the some
of the most effected. In our lifetime, we have seen Our recent research, carried out in partnership with
severe and increasingly frequent storms batter at our regional partners including the Pacific Community,
doors and witnessed the decline of the nature we the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, the
depend on. From storm damage to bleached coral Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office and the
reefs, to droughts causing crop failures, we all have University of Wollongong, revealed that climate
our story to share. change will drive Pacific tuna populations out to
sea, disrupting the economies of ten Pacific Island
Climate change threatens not only our economy and nations and territories*, reducing the tuna catch
wellbeing but also our identity as Pacific Islanders. in their combined coastal waters by an average of
20% by 2050. These lower tuna catches could drive
Climate change is here, and the world needs to act.
Pacific Island nations and territories have long shared annual losses of between 8-17% in total government
a sense of urgency to galvanise global action, action revenue for these nations and territories by 2050.
that is desperately needed for all our sakes. This This redistribution of tuna is a climate justice issue.
need has driven forward a united Pacific voice that is These nations and territories have a profound economic
unparalleled around the world and catalysed historic dependence on tuna fishing but contribute little to
outcomes for nature and climate. global warming. In contrast, nations responsible for 60%
of historical greenhouse gas emissions would benefit
The Pacific Regional Oceanscape Framework is
one of these outcomes, of which my organization from the tuna migration to the high seas.
– Conservation International – was a key thought As the globe’s attention turns to the most important
partner. Unanimously endorsed by Pacific Island international climate change summit since COP21,
leaders in 2010, the Oceanscape provides the Pacific Island Leaders – our Pacific Champions –will
foundation for Pacific countries and territories to again take the stage to call for climate action, climate
manage their coasts and oceans sustainably. justice, and ocean financing and investment to preserve
their threatened home – the vast Pacific Ocean. They
This has laid the foundation for some of the largest
ocean management commitments on Earth, including will bring our ideals and cultural traditions – moderation,
New Caledonia’s Natural Park of the Coral Sea, the respect, consensual dialogue, compromise, and
Cook Islands’ Marae Moana, and Kiribati’s Phoenix inclusiveness to get the job done. Never has the
Islands Protected Area. Efforts are currently on world needed the Pacific Way more than now.
going to secure national endorsement of Fiji’s Lau
Seascape and Samoa’s Ocean Policy. Collectively * The 10 Pacific Island nations and territories are: the Cook Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands,
these large marine managed areas are locally Tokelau and Tuvalu.

Learn more: www.conservation.org/fiji
Contact: CIFijiGeneral@conservation.org

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