The Second Workshop on the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and Marine Mammal Conservation in the South Pacific was held at the headquarters of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme in Apia, Samoa, 17-19 March. Thirteen Pacific countries and territories were represented at the workshop: American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu. Several non-government organisations also attended: International Fund for Animal Welfare; Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society; World Wide Fund for Nature, and the Tonga Whale Watching Association Inc. The workshop was sponsored by the CMS Secretariat, the Packard Foundation, and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand.

"Whales, dolphins and dugong are of special significance to the peoples of the South Pacific," said SPREP Director, Asterio Takesy. "In recent years, many individual countries in the South Pacific have been responsible for great advances in whale and dolphin protection - in particular through the declaration of national whale sanctuaries, now covering over 13 million square kilometres."

"This workshop showed that there is an enthusiasm for a greater level of cooperation to achieve improved conservation at the regional level through the technical and financial advantages offered by membership of the Convention on Migratory Species, which has a global membership of 85 countries," said Mr Takesy.

The workshop followed the recommendation of the first workshop, held in Apia in March 2003, that a second workshop be convened, and that it involve the CMS Secretariat in person. The presence of Mr Lyle Glowka, CMS Agreements Officer, marked the first-ever visit to the region by a representative of CMS.

"It was especially pleasing that, during the course of the meeting, the Government of Samoa announced that it will join CMS. Samoa will become the first Pacific Island country to join this global Convention, and its decision is most welcome," said Mr Glowka.

Participants agreed that the information provided by the CMS Secretariat representative provided SPREP Member countries and Territories with a firm basis for considering CMS membership. Participants were urged to take this information back to their countries to share with relevant governmental agencies and ministers.

It was also noted that annual CMS membership fees for developing Pacific Island countries would be very low (ranging from US$ 36-215 in 2004), and that wider CMS membership from the region would help to facilitate greater opportunities for technical and financial support from the CMS Small Grants Programme and other sources for research, conservation and capacity-building activities.

A working group of 12 Pacific Island countries, working with SPREP, CMS and 3 NGOs will be established to provide a draft Memorandum of Understanding for consideration by the SPREP meeting in August.

Further Information:

Click here to download the Opening Statement of the CMS Secretariat to the Second Workshop on CMS and Marine Mammal Conservation in the South Pacific (PDF Format)