Samoa has a Marine Resources Use Policy, and is working towards the delineation of its EEZ with the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the SOPAC.
Traditionally Samoans rely on marine resources for their well-being and daily required sustenance. Over 70% of villages are located on the coastal fringe of the islands, and subsistence fishing is a major activity of the inhabitants of such villages. Fisheries also play an extremely important role in the economy of Samoa as well as contributing significantly to the health and nutrition of the people. Fisheries are the major income-earner for the country. Offshore fisheries, in particular the tuna sector, have been recently developed and now are the most valuable among fisheries contributing significantly to Samoa’s economy. However, pressures arising as a result of overfishing, inshore environment degradation, ongoing coastal developments, pollution, and natural disasters have adversely affected the coastal resources and marine environment.
1 February 2013: The Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme (RFLP) in South and Southeast Asia, funded by Spain and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), has launched a series of country surveys that provide data concerning small-scale fishing communities.
The RFLP aims to strengthen capacity among participating small-scale fishing communities and their supporting institutions in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam....
2 February 2013: The February 2013 issue of the “Micronesia Challenge Newsletter,” published by the Micronesia Challenge Secretariat, highlights recent support for the Awareness Campaign for Sustainable Management of the Tafunsak Marine Protected Area Project in Kosrae. It also spotlights the outcomes of a Micronesian Challenge Communications workshop, which convened in Guam.
According to the newsletter, the Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization (KCSO) has signed a grant...
31 January 2013: The Pacific Invasives Learning Network (PILN) “Soundbites” January 2013 issue highlights the Solomon Islands’ $1.5 million grant to fight the Giant African Snail, and the Pacific Invasives Partnership (PIP) member contributions to the Pacific Environment and Climate Change Outlook (PECCO) report, which was released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Doha, Qatar, at the 2012 Doha Climate Change Conference.
The Issue notes 2012 achievements by the Global...
