APIA (PINA) — Preparations for the year’s biggest regional conference on nature conservation are well underway, according to one of the organizers of the Cook Islands meeting.
More than 300 delegates representing governments, business, and non government groups are expected to gather on Rarotonga.
They will attend the 7th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas from July 8 to 12.
Sam Sesega, of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program, who is overseeing the conference, said in a statement that the theme is “Mainstreaming Nature Conservation.”
This, he said, is now a key issue to improving the Pacific islands approach to caring for its biodiversity, which was under increasing threat.
Although some headway to sustain the Pacific biodiversity over the years been made, still more needed to be done, he added.
SPREP Director Tamari’i Tutangata says mainstreaming nature conservation contains a number of perspectives. But the key is moving beyond the rhetoric to tangible actions in effectively integrating economic management and environment conservation.
