Posted on 12 October
2011
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Innovative incentives
and increased investment from the private
sector are crucial for the long-term health
of the Coral Triangle
region and the millions of people that depend
on the marine environment for their livelihoods,
says WWF.
The remarks came during
the Coral Triangle Initiative Regional Business
Forum 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, which closed
on 11 October after 2 days of deliberations
over how the private and public sectors
can work together to protect the world’s
most diverse marine ecosystem.
“We are already seeing
some encouraging sustainable and responsible
initiatives take hold in Coral Triangle
region, particularly in the form of public-private
partnerships,” says Dr. Lida Pet-Soede Leader
of the Coral Triangle Initiative.
Among the several public-private
partnerships recognized at the forum is
a multi-stakeholder collaboration between
Coop/Bell Seafood of Switzerland, Seafresh
of The Netherlands, the Government of Germany,
the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources (BFAR), and WWF-Philippines on
a project to improve the management of tuna
handline fisheries.
“While many business-backed
initiatives are showing that there is a
way forward, a lot more effort needs to
go into assessing food security for the
whole Coral Triangle. Action on this front
would allow more room for investment and
the creation of enabling government policies
to address long-term aspects of food security
throughout the region. Furthermore, it could
inform development and innovation in technology
to improve food security where it matters
most,” added Dr. Pet-Soede.
A total of six nations
make up the Coral Triangle – Indonesia,
Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.
Global Biodiversity
Hub
A 10-year marine conservation initiative
for the Coral Triangle was also announced
at the forum, a move that is expected to
infuse RM1.5 billion (US$475 million) into
the regional economy and create 2,900 new
jobs up to the year 2020.
The Malaysian National
News agency Bernama reported that Sabah
Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman made
the announcement in the Malaysian capital
on the first day of the forum.
The new plan would see
the creation of a Global Biodiversity Hub
(GBH) in Sabah, Malaysia, which will help
coordinate the sustainable development of
marine resources within the Coral Triangle
by working with the region’s broad community
of fishermen and seeking to improve the
livelihoods of farmers.
Over 70 per cent of
the funding for the estimated RM$896 million
(US$284 million) GBH will come from the
private sector.
“[The Coral Triangle] is…home to over 3,000
species of reef fish and refuge for six
of the world’s seven species of marine turtles,”
said Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
“We must be mindful
of the negative repercussions, including
loss of income and reliable food supply,
for the over 120 million people who depend
on resources within the [Coral Triangle],”
he added.
The Chief Minister also added that estimates
of the total monetary value of the region's
natural marine habitats amounted to at around
US$2.3 billion yearly in terms of fisheries,
tourism and other related activities.
Sabah is the only Malaysian state in located
within the Coral Triangle. It is also part
of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region.
