Law lecturer queries marine laws

 By ANCILLLA WRAKUALE

COASTAL people rely on fishing for survival and so it is important for policy makers to better understand the marine ecosystem before making laws to protect marine life, Dr Eric Kwa says.

Kwa, a lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea’s Law School, works closely with communities and other organisations on environment and marine laws.

He said important legislation on marine and environment protection had been drafted and still waiting for government to address it.

“The laws have been completed but why sit on them?” he said.

He said time, money and resources had been used to draft legislations and it was important to get the laws approved.

He said it was also important to take into account the commercial benefits of marine resources and their impact on the marine ecosystem before making any laws to avoid a conflict of interest.

He said, usually, the economic interests override the conservation plans.

“Commercial interest and conservation must go hand in hand.

“We need to find ways where these two competing interests can co-exist,” Kwa said.

He said fishery and marine conservation were critical to sustaining fishery for the coastal communities.

He said local communities could protect their marine areas through existing laws at the local level.

He said they had helped villages in West New Britain through existing laws to protect their environment.

He urged other communities to take ownership of the laws to protect and manage their marine resources.

Kwa addressed journalists last Friday at the 9th sea series lectures by Sea Web International covering critical ocean and marine issues.