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By ALISON ANIS
MORE awareness on community-based conservation and sustainable use of
marine resources is still needed at rural village level to train,
educate and get resource owners to understand activities that threaten
marine life and how to refrain from them.
A workshop on marine science and conservation attended by journalists in
Port Moresby yesterday revealed people who depended on marine resources
for food or income must be informed of destructive fishing methods and
how these can affect the marine life.
“The information is necessary for people to know so they also can learn
to manage their resources carefully,” Asia-Pacific programme associate
with Sea Web Rodney Galama said.
Mr Galama, who was speaking to journalists on community-based
conservation, highlighted dynamite fishing, fishing using poison root
(derris) and live coral harvest as destructive methods.
He said continuous practice of such methods could eventually lead to
decline of fish stock and other food resources that people depended on.
“We must get people to realise environmental degradation and get them to
identify common good so that their resources are managed well,” he said.
The workshop, formally referred to as the Sea Series, is a six-month
lecture series which will feature local ocean experts discussing a
variety of issues relevant to PNG’s seas and marine resources with
journalists.
The purpose is to increase coverage of important marine conservation
news by enhancing journalists’ understanding of marine science and
conservation issues.
 
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