In a speech read by Palau representatives who are currently attending the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of CITES being held in Doha, Qatar from March 13 to 25.
The president said that Palau will continue to protect its environment.
“Palau cannot protect our environment alone. We need strong laws and real enforcement by governments around the world and we need serious conservation efforts for sharks and critical marine habitats. All governments need to act now, to conserve the vast biodiversity of our oceans. I call upon the world to join me in taking action to protect the best and conserve the rest, so our children will someday thank us,” the president said in his speech.
The Palau Delegation consists of the following members: Harry R. Fritz , Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism, Fernando Sengebau Director of Bureau of Agriculture; . Ilebrang U. Olkeriil Director, Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement of the Koror State Government and Joan Yang, Deputy Permanent Representative of Permanent Mission of Palau to the United Nations.
In the statement delivered on behalf of President Toribiong, it said that Palau will remove all of its 32 reservations to the CITES.
Palauans have a long history of living in harmony with nature and I am pleased to take another concrete step to show this commitment and to honor our traditions. In days gone by, the traditional chiefs of Palau would declare a “bui” – a moratorium to protect a resource which had become scarce,” Toribiong said in the speech.
The president said because of its support to CITES, he declared before the world that Palau would become the world’s first national shark sanctuary, ending all commercial shark fishing in the country’s waters.
The CITES aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 33,000 species of animals and plants.
Palau is also adding shark species, the Hammerhead, the Oceanic Whitetip, the Porbeagle and the Spiny Dogfish as species that needs protection by the CITES.
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