PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 4:06 PM by Luigi

New protected areas for Papua New Guinea

The WWF website noted on 25 October that "the government of Papua New Guinea announced today that it will gazette 12 new protected areas covering some of the country’s most biologically diverse forests, wetlands and coral reefs. The proposed protected areas are in Madang, the Sepik River, Mount Bosavi (Southern Highlands and Western Provinces), and the TransFly (Western Province), which together will add a further 771,451 ha to Papua New Guinea’s protected area system — an increase of almost 50 per cent."

The 12 protected areas include:

Madang Lagoon (estimated to contain 700 species of coral and over 1,000 species of reef fishes — as many as the Great Barrier Reef in a fraction of the area)
Mount Bosavi and the Kikori River Basin (part of a unique landscape of extinct volcanoes, limestone gorges, and rainforests)
Sepik River Basin (perhaps the largest unpolluted river in the Asia Pacific region and home to one of the world’s largest crocodile populations)
TransFly ecoregion (home to important migratory bird sites and some of the region’s largest and healthiest wetlands)

The event marking the protected area announcement was organized by the Papua New Guinea Department of Environment and Conservation, with support from WWF Papua New Guinea. The following local organizations were recognized: Ambunti District Council of Women, Aquaventures Pty Ltd (dive operators), Bauabaua Theatre Company, HELP Resources, Kosua Orogo Resource Owners Association, New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Oil Search Pty Ltd, PNG Forest Authority and Wetlands International.

For more information:

Ashwini Prahba, Communications Coordinator, WWF South Pacific Programme, email: aprabha@wwfpacific.org.fj

Paul Chatterton, Conservation Manager, WWF Papua New Guinea, email: pchat@wwfpacific.org.pg



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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. 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DIVA-GIS	Sunday, November 06, 2005 Posted 4:06 PM by Luigi New protected areas for Papua New Guinea The WWF website noted on 25 October that "the government of Papua New Guinea announced today that it will gazette 12 new protected areas covering some of the country’s most biologically diverse forests, wetlands and coral reefs. The proposed protected areas are in Madang, the Sepik River, Mount Bosavi (Southern Highlands and Western Provinces), and the TransFly (Western Province), which together will add a further 771,451 ha to Papua New Guinea’s protected area system — an increase of almost 50 per cent." The 12 protected areas include: Madang Lagoon (estimated to contain 700 species of coral and over 1,000 species of reef fishes — as many as the Great Barrier Reef in a fraction of the area) Mount Bosavi and the Kikori River Basin (part of a unique landscape of extinct volcanoes, limestone gorges, and rainforests) Sepik River Basin (perhaps the largest unpolluted river in the Asia Pacific region and home to one of the world’s largest crocodile populations) TransFly ecoregion (home to important migratory bird sites and some of the region’s largest and healthiest wetlands) The event marking the protected area announcement was organized by the Papua New Guinea Department of Environment and Conservation, with support from WWF Papua New Guinea. The following local organizations were recognized: Ambunti District Council of Women, Aquaventures Pty Ltd (dive operators), Bauabaua Theatre Company, HELP Resources, Kosua Orogo Resource Owners Association, New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Oil Search Pty Ltd, PNG Forest Authority and Wetlands International. For more information: Ashwini Prahba, Communications Coordinator, WWF South Pacific Programme, email: aprabha@wwfpacific.org.fj Paul Chatterton, Conservation Manager, WWF Papua New Guinea, email: pchat@wwfpacific.org.pg * 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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