Recognition grows that the world is one ecosystem

The Second Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ocean- Related Ministerial Meeting which concluded over the weekend in Bali produced a set of statements aimed at ensuring sustainable management of the ocean, marine environment and its resources in the Asia Pacific Region. The Jakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana talked to meeting co-chairman, Geoff Regan, who is also the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, about the meeting.

Question: What were the meeting's most significant outcomes?

Answer: The meeting is a very important part of building global momentum for more sustainable fisheries ... ensuring that as we build or rebuild fisheries, we do this in a way that is sustainable to ensure that the capacity we have matches the resources. How important are marine resources to countries in the Asia- Pacific Region?

For the 2.6 billion living in the Asia-Pacific region, the oceans and seas provide jobs, prosperity and hope. Participants in the meeting represent economies accounting more than 75 percent of the world's captured fish; more than 90 percent of the world's aquaculture production; and consumers of 70 percent of the world's fish and seafood products.

The high demand for marine products has caused overfishing and overexploitation beyond sustainable levels. These are some of the many reasons why our oceans and coasts deserve the utmost attention and care.

Have you seen significant progress since the Seoul Oceans Declaration in 2002?

In many ways, the first Oceans Ministerial Meeting in Korea marked a new beginning for our efforts. The meeting's result -- the Seoul Oceans Declaration -- stood as a clear demonstration of the region's resolve to work together to ensure that the ocean, our coasts and the many industries that rely on them are developed sustainably.

I do see progress. Many countries are moving forward with Ocean Action Plans and things like that. In Canada, we are moving toward implementing Ocean Acts in a variety of ways and we are particularly proud of what we have done in designating marine protected areas (MPAs) in different parts of Canada.

What's the greatest challenge to enforcing sustainable fishing and ocean management?

Capacity development is perhaps the key challenge involving the community. I think practical systems can be helpful and I hope Canada can play a key role, and other economies can also assist developing economies ensure they develop their marine economies sustainably and based on science and technology.

We fully understand what a huge challenge is faced by Indonesia in managing its ocean, coastlines, marine resources. It is an enormous challenge of trying to know what is happening.

However, through this meeting, we also saw the increasing ability of countries to gain information. And we see that new technology has allowed the cost of observation to come down.

Is there any solution to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing?

I see more global interest in trying to find ways to stop these. Indonesia and Canada are very much aligned as partners in trying to move the agenda forward. We have very similar views and very similar interests on this key issue.

A meeting like this sends a statement to the world that those kinds of practices are no longer acceptable. The meeting helps to put pressure on all economies to enforce the rules; to impose stronger sanctions against those who break the rules.

Here, we also see a large amount of support, for instance, from the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement. I really see a global wave of change.

Is there an effort to reduce the gap in research and technology, skills, and human resources between developed and developing economies?

I think there is a strong commitment. More global support for technology transfer; to pass it to developing countries. What we are seeing at a meeting like this is a growing recognition that although we talk about many ecosystems, the fact is the world is one ecosystem.

And we have a common interest in ensuring that this ecosystem is our planet.

It is encouraging to see the growing interest to have measurable goals for accountability, to have systems through the working group we have in APEC on fisheries and marine resource conservation; to have assessments on how are we doing, and to keep track of the many goals and objectives and to see that the Bali Plan of Action is being undertaken. We want to see substantial and measurable progress on the Bali Plan of Action over the period between 2006 and 2009.