Steven Victor says, “the key to get to the Ocean-Climate nexus is to show the balance between protection and production.”

“I think the 100 percent Ocean management is the critical agenda that needs to be pushed forward. When you say 100 percent management, it could mean a lot of things but it should be tied to the issues each of the nations are facing,” says Minister Steven Victor of the issues that Palau will take to the UN Our Oceans Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

“We cannot overprotect because the socioeconomic well-being of the people who depend on their resources will be impacted and therefore, sustainability of protection can be put at risk. And if you produce too much, you’re depleting the very resource that sustains you, so really, finding the balance between production and protection that provides and conserves is critical to this Ocean-Climate Nexus,” said Minister Victor.

He acknowledged that Palau has been managing close to 100 percent of its ocean already.  It has banned bottom trawlers, banned undersea mining, established a large shark sanctuary and closed off 80 percent of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary to fishing but he said that “the key to get to the Ocean-Climate nexus (addressing impacts of climate change and improvement of ocean health), is to show the balance between protection and production.”

To other Pacific nations looking to this model of mixed-use for their marine parks such as Niue, Cooks Islands, Kiribati and Fiji, Minister Victor said this is a national policy to be decided by the country but it must be based on science and stakeholder engagement.

Meanwhile, local opposition organised by members of civil societies, traditional chiefs, fishermen and youth opposing the Palau government’s Blue Economy Plan says that Palau’s EEZ is already 100 percent managed and that the current PNMS law fulfills the purpose of BUL, PNA and eco-tourism benefits including Palau’s scientific climate change contributions to needed MPA solutions.

They deny the government’s claims that the closure of 80 percent of Palau’s EEZ under the PNMS created revenue loss to Palau and cited government financial reports that show fishing revenues for Palau from 2011 to 2014 and 2016 to 2019.

Government report showed before the PNMS, Palau earned US$16.5 million (2011-2014) from tuna. After PNMS was enacted (2016 to 2019), Palau earned US$37.9 million from tuna revenue, a 230 percent increase after the PNMS became law.  Most of this revenue comes from the selling fishing days under the Vessel Days Scheme where fishing companies buy fishing days in Palau but does not fish in Palau but in member country’s waters.

The movement under hashtag #savemysanctuary and through petitions is building up to counter the government’s 100 percent management concept encapsulated in President Whipps’s Blue Economy Plan.

This story was written by Leilani Reklai, originally published at Island Times on 19 April 2022, reposted via PACNEWS.