MINISTER for Fisheries Ben Semri said the Pacific Ocean faces a marked decline in fish stocks if corrective measures were not taken immediately.
He said a scientific committee of the Conference on the Pacific Community had predicted a general decline in the fish stock in the Pacific Ocean over the next 30 years if conservation measures were not taken immediately to protect reefs, corals and mangroves.
These reefs, corals and mangroves have been the spawning grounds and hubs to more than 4,000 species of fish, he said.
Mr Semri was briefing Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare in Bali yesterday on the eve of his (Somare’s) address to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Sir Michael was only one of five selected leaders who will address this Bali conference. The others were host Indonesia, Australia, Singapore and Norway.
Mr Semri said he and the Minister for Environment and Conservation Benny Allan had “excellent progress” since Sir Michael tasked them to liaise with their Indonesian counterparts to progress the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI).
He said the CTI was a new multilateral partnership between 21 States across the Asia/Pacific which “helped safeguard marine and coastal resources for this and future generations”.