PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 3:01 PM by Luigi

Conservationist from Papua New Guinea honoured

By Seacology, BERKELEY, Calif.

Seacology is proud to honor Patrick Danaya Pate of Papua New Guinea and Dr. Felix Sugirtharaj of India for their exceptional efforts to preserve island environments at a ceremony to be held in San Francisco on October 25. The event will be held at the St Francis Yacht Club, with presentations by Dr. Paul Cox, chairman of the Seacology Board, and Duane Silverstein, executive cirector of Seacology.

Mr. Pate has been selected to receive the 2005 Seacology Prize of $7,500 for his efforts to organize local indigenous communities in the highlands of his native Papua New Guinea. The Prize is awarded annually to an indigenous islander for exceptional achievement in preserving the environment and culture of any of the world’s 100,000-plus islands.

This year, a special Seacology Lifetime Achievement Award of $7,500, will be presented to Dr. Sugirtharaj for his dedication in protecting the mangrove forests and livelihoods of fisher-people in the Andaman Islands, and particularly for his tireless work coordinating relief efforts in the wake of the devastating December 26, 2004 tsunami.

Patrick Danaya Pate is from one of 28 widely scattered villages in the Mt. Bosavi region in southern Papua New Guinea. He is vice president of Kosua Orogo Resource Holders Association (KORA), a community-based organization initiated by Bosavi clan leaders to promote greater awareness of the negative impacts of industrial logging, and to encourage traditional beliefs in the sustainable use of biodiversity. As a result of KORA’s influence, community members have committed to rejecting large-scale logging proposals. The communities have agreed to set aside five Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), each covering an area of about 250,000 acres of pristine forest, totaling over 1.25 million acres. In appreciation for this sacrifice, Seacology funded a project to build three much-needed resource centers. Pate has coordinated this project, and has tirelessly worked to promote protection of the WMAs despite threats from surrounding landowners who wish to sell their forests for logging.

Dr. Felix Sugirtharaj is director of the Coastal Poor Development Action Network (COPDANET), and has been a longtime advocate of mangrove protection coupled with sustainable livelihoods for fisherpeople. Most recently, he has coordinated the establishment of a Seacology-funded mangrove resource center and replanting project on India’s Andaman Islands. After the devastating December 26, 2004, tsunami struck the Indian Ocean region, Dr. Sugirtharaj immediately went into action, assessing local damage to the hard-hit communities near the community center. With financial support from Seacology’s Tsunami Relief Fund, Dr. Sugirtharaj and COPDANET distributed goats and chickens to local families, provided sewing machines to provided much-needed income and supervised the rebuilding of local homes.

The Seacology Prize is underwritten by Ken Murdock, president of Seacology, in honor of his mother, Lalovi Fish Murdock, whose family’s century-long connection with the Samoan Islands, and their love for its people, inspired Murdock’s work to help indigenous islanders preserve their environment in the face of a changing world. The Seacology Prize stipend has been raised from $5,000 to $7,500 due to the generosity of an anonymous donor. The stipend will be further raised to $10,000 for the 2006 Seacology Prize.

For more information regarding the work of Mr. Pate and Dr. Sugirtharaj, and past winners of the Seacology Prize, please visit www.seacology.org. Seacology is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization with the sole and unique purpose of preserving the environments and cultures of islands throughout the globe.



	A blog maintained by Tevita Kete, PGR Officer Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands
This weblog documents the activities of Pacific Agricultural Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN), along with other information on plant genetic resources (PGR) in the Pacific. The myriad varieties found within cultivated plants are fundamental to the present and future productivity of agriculture. PAPGREN, which is coordinated by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), helps Pacific countries and territories to conserve their crop genetic diversity sustainably, with technical assistance from the Bioversity International (BI) and support from NZAID and ACIAR. SPC also hosts the Centre of Pacific Crops and Trees (CEPaCT). The CEPaCT maintains regional in vitro collections of crops important to the Pacific and carries out research on tissue culture technology. The CEPaCT Adviser is Dr Mary Taylor (MaryT@spc.int), the CEPaCT Curator is Ms Valerie Tuia (ValerieT@spc.int). PAPGREN coordination and support IPGRI ACIAR NZAID CTA SPC PAPGREN CEPaCT Click on the thumbnail to see a map of the locations of Pacific genebanks. Click here to download a regional directory of genebanks in the Pacific, including information on their location, contact details and holdings. PAPGREN partners Mr William Wigmore Director of Research Ministry of Agriculture Department of Resources & Development P.O. Box 96 Rarotonga Cook Islands Tel: (682) 28711-29720 Fax: (682) 21881 Email: cimoa@oyster.net.ck Mr Adelino S. Lorens Chief Agriculture Pohnpei Office of Economic Affairs P.O. Box 1028 Kolonia Pohnpei 96941 Federated States of Micronesia Tel: (691) 3202400 Fax: (691) 3202127 Email: pniagriculture@mail.fm Dr Lois Englberger Island Food Community of Pohnpei Research Advisor P.O. Box 2299 Kolonia Pohnpei 96941 Federated States of Micronesia Email: nutrition@mail.fm Mr Apisai Ucuboi Director of Research Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest Koronivia Research Station P.O. Box 77 Nausori Fiji Islands Tel: (679) 3477044 Fax: (679) 3477546-400262 Email: apisainu@yahoo.com Dr Maurice Wong Service du Developpement Rural B.P. 100 Papeete Tahiti 98713 French Polynesia Tel: (689) 42 81 44 Fax: (689) 42 08 31 Email: maurice.wong@rural.gov.pf Mr Tianeti Beenna Ioane Head, Research Section Division of Agriculture Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development P.O. Box 267 Tarawa Kiribati Tel: (686) 28096-28108-28080 Fax: (686) 28121 Email : agriculture@tskl.net.ki; Beenna_ti@yahoo.com Mr Frederick Muller Secretary Ministry of Resources & Development P.O. Box 1727 Majuro 96960 Marshall Islands Tel: (692) 6253206 Fax: (692) 6257471 Email: rndsec@ntamar.net Mr Herman Francisco Director Bureau of Agriculture Ministry of Resources & Development P.O. Box 460 Koror 96940 Palau Tel: (680) 4881517 Fax: (680) 4881725 Email: bnrd@pnccwg.palaunet.com Ms Rosa Kambuou Principal Scientist PGR NARI Dry Lowlands Programme Laloki Agricultural Research Station P.O. Box 1828 Boroko National Capital District Papua New Guinea Tel: (675) 3235511 Fax: (675) 3234733 Email: kambuou@global.net.pg Ms Laisene Samuelu Principal Crop Development Officer Crops Division Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology P.O. Box 1874 Apia Samoa Tel: (685) 23416-20605 Fax: (685) 20607-23996 Email: lsamuelu@lesamoa.net Mr Jimi Saelea Director of Research Department of Agriculture and Livestock P.O. Box G13 Honiara Guadalcanal Solomon Islands Tel: (677) 27987 Mr Tony Jansen Planting Materials Network Kastom Gaden Association Burns Creek, Honiara P.O. Box 742 Honiara Solomon Islands Tel: (677) 39551 Email: kastomgaden@solomon.com.sb Mr Finao Pole Head of Research Ministry of Agriculture & Forests P.O. Box 14 Nuku'alofa Tonga Tel: (676) 23038 Fax: (676) 24271 Email: thaangana@hotmail.com Mr Frazer Bule Lehi Head of Research Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Private Mail Bag 040 Port Vila Vanuatu Tel: (678) 22525 Fax: (678) 25265 Email: flehi@hotmail.com Other links Other CROP agencies Forum Secretariat University of the South Pacific SPREP Pacific biodiversity Biodiversity hotspots Breadfruit Institute Hawaiian native plants Intellectual property rights Nature Conservancy PBIF PestNet SIDS WWF South Pacific Program Other Pacific organizations Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific Micronesian Seminar Te Puna web directory Pacific news Cafe Pacific CocoNET Wireless Island Directory Pacific Islands News Pacific Islands Report Pacific Islands Travel Pacific Time South Pacific travel Time Pacific Interested in GIS? DIVA-GIS	Thursday, October 20, 2005 Posted 3:01 PM by Luigi Conservationist from Papua New Guinea honoured By Seacology, BERKELEY, Calif. Seacology is proud to honor Patrick Danaya Pate of Papua New Guinea and Dr. Felix Sugirtharaj of India for their exceptional efforts to preserve island environments at a ceremony to be held in San Francisco on October 25. The event will be held at the St Francis Yacht Club, with presentations by Dr. Paul Cox, chairman of the Seacology Board, and Duane Silverstein, executive cirector of Seacology. Mr. Pate has been selected to receive the 2005 Seacology Prize of $7,500 for his efforts to organize local indigenous communities in the highlands of his native Papua New Guinea. The Prize is awarded annually to an indigenous islander for exceptional achievement in preserving the environment and culture of any of the world’s 100,000-plus islands. This year, a special Seacology Lifetime Achievement Award of $7,500, will be presented to Dr. Sugirtharaj for his dedication in protecting the mangrove forests and livelihoods of fisher-people in the Andaman Islands, and particularly for his tireless work coordinating relief efforts in the wake of the devastating December 26, 2004 tsunami. Patrick Danaya Pate is from one of 28 widely scattered villages in the Mt. Bosavi region in southern Papua New Guinea. He is vice president of Kosua Orogo Resource Holders Association (KORA), a community-based organization initiated by Bosavi clan leaders to promote greater awareness of the negative impacts of industrial logging, and to encourage traditional beliefs in the sustainable use of biodiversity. As a result of KORA’s influence, community members have committed to rejecting large-scale logging proposals. The communities have agreed to set aside five Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), each covering an area of about 250,000 acres of pristine forest, totaling over 1.25 million acres. In appreciation for this sacrifice, Seacology funded a project to build three much-needed resource centers. Pate has coordinated this project, and has tirelessly worked to promote protection of the WMAs despite threats from surrounding landowners who wish to sell their forests for logging. Dr. Felix Sugirtharaj is director of the Coastal Poor Development Action Network (COPDANET), and has been a longtime advocate of mangrove protection coupled with sustainable livelihoods for fisherpeople. Most recently, he has coordinated the establishment of a Seacology-funded mangrove resource center and replanting project on India’s Andaman Islands. After the devastating December 26, 2004, tsunami struck the Indian Ocean region, Dr. Sugirtharaj immediately went into action, assessing local damage to the hard-hit communities near the community center. With financial support from Seacology’s Tsunami Relief Fund, Dr. Sugirtharaj and COPDANET distributed goats and chickens to local families, provided sewing machines to provided much-needed income and supervised the rebuilding of local homes. The Seacology Prize is underwritten by Ken Murdock, president of Seacology, in honor of his mother, Lalovi Fish Murdock, whose family’s century-long connection with the Samoan Islands, and their love for its people, inspired Murdock’s work to help indigenous islanders preserve their environment in the face of a changing world. The Seacology Prize stipend has been raised from $5,000 to $7,500 due to the generosity of an anonymous donor. The stipend will be further raised to $10,000 for the 2006 Seacology Prize. For more information regarding the work of Mr. Pate and Dr. Sugirtharaj, and past winners of the Seacology Prize, please visit www.seacology.org. Seacology is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization with the sole and unique purpose of preserving the environments and cultures of islands throughout the globe. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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