NMI delegate to MPA congress returns

Dr. Teny Topalian, who represents the Pacific Island Regional Office of NOAA and has an office in the Division of Fish and Wildlife, just returned to Saipan after attending the 1st International Marine Protected Areas Congress, which was held in Geelong, Australia on Oct. 23-28, 2005.

IMPAC was one of the most significant gatherings of marine protected areas where scientists, resource managers, and policy-makers from all over the world attended to share ideas, knowledge and experiences for the protection of the marine environment. Australia has the world’s largest network of highly protected marine areas protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

The sessions consisted of five major themes including sustainability and resilience, developing MPA networks, ecosystem processes, effective management, and shared stewardship and indigenous history, culture and conservation.

A very important theme was also the concept of having Marine Protected Areas in the high seas. At present, most MPAs are in the EEZ or the Exclusive Economic Zone of countries.

The idea of having this international conference was conceived at the World Summit of Sustainable Development in Johanneseburg, South Africa in 2002, and the World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa in 2003. Topalian was an invited delegate to both Congresses as well.

“My dream is for humanity to live in harmony with the marine environment, and with the biosphere. The coral reefs of the world and associated ecosystems are being destroyed all over the world by habitat destruction, pollution, destructive fishing methods, over-fishing and global climatic change. We need to bring to the attention of the public and our politicians the urgent need to protect the marine environment for the well being of future generations,” said Topalian.

“We need to ‘think big, and act big.’ Marine resources are invaluable. We think that the oceans are infinite, and that marine resources are infinite, but they are not. We need to change our attitudes toward the marine environment, and we cannot afford complacency. The oceans of the world are vulnerable to alterations…to human actions. We must make the public aware of the important marine environmental issues and empower them to participate in the process of protecting the ocean. …The oceans of the world need to be protected,” he added.