Coral Triangle Initiative Townsville Workshop, 10-14 November 2008
Introduction: The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security and an Australian Government seminar to support the Coral Triangle Initiative: Coral Reef Protection and Management
The 5.7 million km2 of the Coral Triangle (CT) is home to the highest diversity of marine life on earth. This region stretches across six countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon islands and Timor Leste (CT6).
This extraordinary marine biological resource directly sustains the lives of over 120 million people and benefits millions more world-wide. Unfortunately, the marine-based natural resources of the CT and the economic and social benefits they generate are at risk, threatened by a range of factors that combined are causing a situation of crisis that only a transformational approach to marine resource management can resolve.
In August 2007, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia wrote to other country leaders proposing a new Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security. Responding positively, the six governments (listed above) met in a first formal CTI Senior Officials Meeting in Bali on 6-7 December 2007 agreeing on, amongst other things, a framework for a CTI Plan of Action” to be developed during 2008 and adopted at the highest political levels:
At this meeting in Bali, the Australian Government offered to provide technical and expert assistance and information exchange to the CTI. The CT6 accepted this offer. As the first practical example of this support, in November 10-14 2008, the Australian Government will hold a workshop which includes a focus on management and conservation of coral reefs using marine protected areas and zoning regimes.
The Australian Government has asked the ARC Centre of Excellence and the Australian Institute of Marine Science to host part of the workshop and to assist in harnessing the expertise that Australia has to offer. As meeting papers for this workshop are developed they will be provided through this webpage.
Draft Background papers
The following links relate to draft background papers about issues related to designing a network of marine protected areas in the Coral Triangle. They are designed to stimulate and assist discussion at the Workshop in November. Participation through co-authorship, input and comment is welcome.
Publications
- Selected recent papers on work conducted within Coral Triangle countries by Australian researchers and their collaborators
Links
- Coral Triangle Initiative Secretariat
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)
- Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
- The Nature Conservancy: Coral Triangle Center
- World Wildlife Fund: Coral Triangle Program
- Conservation International
Contact
Dr Leanne Fernandes
Marine Resource Management Coordinator
email: leannef@earth2ocean.com
phone: 61 (0)7 4725 1824
mobile: 0434524051
