15 May 2009
PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO APPRECIATES WOC'S SUCCESS
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed
his appreciation to the success of the World Ocean Conference
in reaching an agreement on the Manado Ocean Declaration (MOD).
"I am glad the conference was able to produce the MOD,"
he said at a dinner held in honor of the participants of the
WOC and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Summit, here on
Thursday evening. He said the success served as a strong signal
for marine community in the world with regard to the need
to safeguard the ocean and marine resources. "This is
an important part of the solution with regard to efforts to
seek a concensus on climate change," he said.
On the occasion President Yudhoyono also expressed his appreciation
to five heads of state/government attending the CTI Summit
namely Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Malaysian
Prime Minister Najib Razak, Solomon Islands Prime Minister
Derek Sikua, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare
and Timor Leste President Ramos Horta.
The event which was also attended by ambassadors from friendly
countries began with a screening of a video film on "The
CTI: A Call to Action." Six countries located on an area
of 5.7 square kilometers of the Coral Triangle agreed to coordinate
in protect marines resources in the region. With the width
measuring only two percent of the world's waters the Coral
Triangle is home to 76 percent of known coral species.
The area is also rich of fish species. More than 120 million
people directly or indirectly depend on marine resources in
the area for livelihood. The resources however are now being
threatened due to climate change, overfishing, illegal fishing,
unsustainable sand mining and pollution. Because of these
factors fish supply has dropped, mangrove forests depleted
in a large scale and coral system degraded.
In response to the problem the six countries agreed to develop
an action plan to implement a new initiative. In the next
few years they would work together with their partners to
implement the strategy of sea conservation area, sustainable
management of marine resources, protection of endangered species
and climate change adaptation.
Source : Antara
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