A five-day regional symposium focused on strengthening marine pollution emergency response and environmental resilience is being held in Suva this week.
The symposium has brought regional and international partners to Fiji to look at best practices, capacity-building and coordinated action in marine protection.
The event, according to the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji is co-hosted by them and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
The symposium is supported by the UK Government’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through the Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) and the Blue Planet Fund.
The symposium was opened by the Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Assistant Minister, Naisa Tuinaceva.
He said the meeting provided an opportunity for participants to share lessons learned, strengthen interoperability and build the partnerships that could ensure our Pacific region stands ready to act together.
“The outcome of this symposium will not only advance our national priorities in marine oil spill response, but also give practical expression to our regional vision under the 2050 strategy, Cleaner Pacific 2025 and the PACPLAN and now the Ocean of Peace Declaration,” he said.
The program, according to MSAF featured a mix of technical sessions, hand-on exercises and interactive discussions focused on enhancing national and regional preparedness and response capabilities for marine pollution incidents.
Those participating at the symposium are from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue, Nauru, Kiribati, and Tuvalu.
Also joining the Pacific Island representatives are technical partners from Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom.
