[Coral-List] Pacific Regional Conference on Marine Managed Areas, 15-19 November 2009, Moorea, French Polynesia

CRISP CRISP at spc.int
Thu Sep 17 01:03:47 EDT 2009


CRISP coordinating unit has the pleasure to inform you that the "Pacific Regional Conference on Marine Managed Areas" will be held from the 15th to the 19th of November 2009 in Moorea, French Polynesia.

 

Please find below a text version of the conference brochure detailing the event's objectives as well as practical details.

You can also use the following link to download a high-resolution PDF file: http://www.crisponline.net/PacificRegionalConferenceonMarineManagedArea/tabid/328/Default.aspx

 

Best regards,

 

Claire

@ CRISP Coordinating Unit

 

Secretariat of the Pacific Community

P.O. Box D5

98848 Noumea - New Caledonia

Tel./Fax :(687)26 54 71 or (687)26 00 00 x433

 

Pacific Regional Conference 

on Marine Managed Areas

 

 

15-19 November 2009

French Polynesia - Moorea

 

 

 

1st French National Congress on Marine Protected Areas, Boulogne (France) - 2007

2nd International Marine Protected Areas Congress, Washington (USA) - 2009

Pacific Regional Conference on Marine Managed Areas, Moorea (French Polynesia) - 2009 

Global Conference on Oceans, Paris (France) - 2010

Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity Nagoya (Japan) - 2010

Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity - 2012

3rd International Marine Protected Areas Congress, Marseille (France) - 2013

 

 

Background




The countries of the Pacific, both the small is­land states and their larger neighbours such as USA, Australia and New Zealand, have over recent decades developed strategies to set up networks of marine protected or managed areas at regional and sub-regional levels in order to im­prove the effectiveness of these sustainable mana­gement tools for coastal regions and resources. 

 

Meanwhile, the first French National Congress on Marine Protected Areas, which took place in Bou­logne-Sur-Mer in November 2007, emphasized the need to strengthen overseas marine protected area networks and to merge them into regional settings by developing regional integration strate­gies between both French territorial entities and neighbouring English-speaking countries. 

 

Given the geography and challenges of the Pacific region, there is a need to strengthen coordination and cooperation between French territories and English-speaking partners on this issue without delay. It is in this context that Mr. Georges Hander­son, Minister for the Environment of French Polyne­sia, has issued an invitation to a regional meeting on marine managed areas (MMAs - a category that also includes marine protected areas) organized in French Polynesia.

 

Thus, the Pacific Regional Conference on MMAs, to take place in Moorea from 15 to 19 November 2009, will provide stakeholders with an opportu­nity to dialogue on the status of existing marine protected area networks, to identify managers' needs and to develop a regional action and coo­peration programme.

 

This major objective will encompass two mutually supporting themes: 

                - the needs of Pacific Island communities in terms of sustainable resource management;

                - the issues related to the conservation of marine biodiversity.

 

This conference also follows on from the 2nd International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC 2), which was held in Washington from 19 to 24 May 2009. The results of the exchanges on regional networks stressed the usefulness of the 'social and technical' tools that the marine areas networks represent. Whatever their scale (local, national or regional) or nature (based on the regional seas conventions, initiated by an NGO or initiated by managers), these networks make it possible to capitalize on experience, pool efforts and develop exchanges. These results set the groundwork for cooperation, which must be further developed.

The Pacific Regional Conference on MMAs will also contribute to preparations for future international events.

 

This conference, which is part of an international and regional timetable, demonstrates French Polynesia's commitment to playing a major role in the management and conservation of marine biodiversity at the regional level.

 

Objectives

Capitalize on experience - strengthen what already exists.

Draft a regional programme. 

Establish a regional network of MMAs. 

 

Principal objective

 




The main purpose of the conference is to pool efforts and develop synergies for the sustaina­ble management and conservation of coastal and marine environments in the Pacific, through a regional network of MMAs.

 

This regional conference will give priority to brin­ging together the managers of French MMAs (in the region) and their counterparts from the other Pa­cific Islands countries and territories as well as from major countries in the region such as Australia, the United States and New Zealand, but also scientific experts and representatives of national and regio­nal institutions, in order to:

 

1- Exchange experience.

2- Identify difficulties and needs in terms of mana­gement, monitoring and knowledge both at a local and regional level.

3- With the concerned stakeholders, identify the action required to meet these needs in order to :

                * strengthen existing initiatives and develop syner­gies;

                * review the status of existing MMAs and the tools available;

                * clarify the availability of financial resources;

                * establish the status of knowledge on coastal and marine environments, capitalize on the results of the various eco-regional analysis exercises (knowledge, uses, priorities);

                * develop a regional network of MMAs;

                * work with all stakeholders to produce a coordinated regional action and cooperation programme.

 

The conference will also make it possible to share the outcomes and proposals emerging from the UNESCO Pacific Workshop and the eco-regional analysis for French Polynesia taking place over the same period. The action plan from the conference will thus be determined in a synergistic process with the new UNESCO Programme for World Heritage in the Pacific 2010-2015 and in particular its ma­rine component.

 

Themes

 

Three themes will form the framework for exchanges and action proposals in order to respond the following questions: Which realities? Which needs? Which tools?

 

 




* Governance and management of MMAs

The goal will be, on the basis of exchanges of experience, to review existing initiatives, assess difficulties and support stakeholders responsible for managing MMAs through the adoption of priority action areas at both local and regional levels and in particular through cooperation projects. 

 

* Monitoring environments and species in MMAs

Discussion will address the monitoring over time of marine areas in order to be able to provide suitable tools for practical monitoring of the status of environments and species and assess the effectiveness of MMAs.

 

* Available knowledge on ecosystems - the issues concerning oceanic areas

The relevance and the effectiveness of action on sustainable management and conservation of marine biodiversity must be underpinned by sound knowledge in terms of biodiversity, ecosystem functionalities and uses. On the basis of a review of available knowledge (with particular reference to the eco-regional analysis work carried out in the Pacific), a programme of action will be put forward to fill knowledge gaps, identify High seas issues and foster cooperation for knowledge acquisition in the Pacific.

 

 

Practical details

Accommodation at the Intercontinental Moorea hotel in and meals are provided by the organization, from the evening of Saturday 14 November (diner included) to the morning of Friday 20 November (breakfast included). 

 

In order to enable a maximum of marine area managers to attend the conference, financial assistance (partial or total) may be granted to participants for the purchase of airline tickets. Please note that only a limited number of such grants are available. 

Contact the CRISP coordination unit to apply: crisp at spc.int. 

 

To improve exchanges, participating managers will be asked a brief presentation on the marine areas they are in charge of. This should consist of three slides presenting: 

            - the geographic situation plus the scope and objectives of the marine area ; 

            - the management type ; 

            - the difficulties encountered and identified needs. 

 

 

Online registration: http://ampacific09.aires-marines.fr 

Registration closing date: 1st of October 2009 

 

 

                                                                                                                           Contact: staff.ampacific at aires-marines.fr <mailto:staff.ampacific at aires-marines.fr> 

 

 

 




Symposium participation 

100 participants from throughout the Pacific region, essentially marine areas managers.

 

Patronage 

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) ; Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). 

 

Host country and venue 

Moorea, French Polynesia. 

Intercontinental Hotel. 

 

Organizing Committee 

French Agency for Marine Protected Areas ; UICN France; CRISP Coordinating Unit ; Pacific Coral Reef Institute (IRCP) ; Insular Research Center and Environment Observatory (CRIOBE). 

WWF France ; Conservation International ; French Polynesia. 

 

With the support of 

NOAA ; LMMA ; WWF South Pacific ; UNESCO ; SOPAC ; French Pacific Fund ; University of French Polynesia ; University of the South Pacific ; IFRECOR French Polynesia ; IFRECOR New Caledonia ; IFRECOR Wallis and Futuna ; MNHN ; CNRS ; IFREMER ; IRD ; GOPS.

 

 

 

Claire Dupré

@ Cellule de coordination du CRISP

 

 

Secrétariat général de la Communauté du Pacifique

B.P. D5

98848 Nouméa - Nouvelle Calédonie

Tél./Fax :(687)26 54 71 ou (687)26 00 00 poste 433




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