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).

 

 

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PAPGREN coordination and support

  • IPGRI
  • ACIAR
  • NZAID
  • CTA
  • SPC
  • PAPGREN
  • CEPaCT

     genebank locations
    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

     

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    Monday, May 08, 2006


    SPREP and the Island Biodiversity Programme of Work

    From Island Business.

    A team of specialists from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has strongly supported the cause of Pacific Islands nations at the important 8th Conference of Parties (COP8) on the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in Brazil. They were among 4000 delegates from over 150 countries who came together to discuss the need to protect the Earth’s collective range of microbial, plant and animal species - commonly known as biodiversity. Important policy initiatives have been taken with far-reaching consequences for governments, businesses and communities in the Pacific Region.

    Asterio Takesy, the Director of SPREP, led the delegation of four and is buoyant about the outcome of the conference. Many months of preparation have paid off (earlier references to this have been made in the February and March issues of ISLANDS BUSINESS). SPREP’s main role in this was to support its Pacific countries members who are States Parties to the Convention, and whose role it was to plead the Pacific cause.The key outcome of COP8 for the Pacific was the adoption of the Island Biodiversity Programme of Work (IBPOW). As discussed in a previous ISLANDS BUSINESS issue, this programme recognises that all islands, and small islands developing states in particular, are special because they:
    • rely on biodiversity for sustainable development;
    • have close links between culture and environment;
    • have special concerns, particular vulnerability and limited land area; and
    • contain high levels of endemism (species that don’t occur anywhere else) and extensive coastal and marine biodiversity.
    Adoption of the IBPOW will lead to better support for National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. And that’s good news for Pacific islands states, Takesy said.

    In addition, an island biodiversity community network was established; the conference showcased leadership in conservation of island biodiversity by Pacific Islands Countries; the importance of marine biodiversity was highlighted; and new conservation concepts were discussed.

    The conference also provided an opportunity for delivering “Postcards from the Future” to high-level decision-makers. These innovative postcards carried messages from Pacific youths to indicate what kind of future they wanted in their region—an important means of community involvement, Takesy said. Dominique Benzaken, SPREP’s Coastal Management Adviser, said the protection of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions (in “the high seas”) had been hotly debated at the conference. Deep seabed environments contain many unique species that are very vulnerable to overexploitation, particularly bottom trawling. Protecting them is a high priority for the United Nations and important to our region, Benzaken said, because of the impact of high seas on countries’ adjacent exclusive economic zones.

    Also of great significance was the announcement of the new Marine Protected Areas in the Pacific. Palau had already presented their Micronesian Challenge to conserve 30 percent of their nearshore marine resources and 20 percent of their forest resources by 2020. At the conference, Kiribati rose to the challenge by announcing the establishment of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, now the third largest marine protected area in the world. This will conserve an archipelago of some of the Earth’s most pristine coral reefs and set a great example for others to follow, Benzaken said.

    Clark Peteru, SPREP’s Environmental Legal Advisor, highlighted an important new concept discussed at the conference: that of “Payment for Environmental Service”. What it means is that resource owners or custodians are compensated for keeping environments such as forests and coral reefs in a viable condition, particularly where there are global benefits. This, of course, would make it more attractive to conserve forests and seas in the long term, while still obtaining financial benefits in the short-term, such as payments from logging or fishing licences. This would probably push the price of such licences up because of more realistic valuing of natural resources—but it should result in the reduction of reckless exploitation of pristine areas.

    Funding for this mechanism would come from the Global Environment Fund, which has a contributor in the United States. Hence, the presence of an American delegation, even though the United States is not a party to the Convention for Biological Diversity. Much legal work is to be completed to bring the conference’s proposals to fruition, Peteru said, and this would go on in working groups now that the main meeting was over.

    Kate Brown-Vitolio, SPREP’s Action Strategy Adviser, was excited about the outcome of a side event to the conference. Hosted by SPREP, it was aimed at networking established practitioners who are working “on the ground” in conservation. This brought together many strands of what biodiversity conservation means for us as Pacific islanders. Some critical factors identified were: direct stakeholder involvement; funding mechanisms; the importance of traditional social and economical knowledge, and of leaders who possess that knowledge.

    One of these leaders is Ratu Aisea Katonivere, chief of the Macuata community in Fiji, home to 100,000 people and the world’s third largest barrier reef. His presence at the Convention for Biological Diversity conference, funded by SPREP, brought the following key message:“For the islands, this is a new dimension on how to preserve our fragile resources for future generations. Our traditional way of conserving has been reawakened through this global concern to protect our fragile resources,” Katonivere said. “For us, in Fiji, this is about our survival. Our life.”

    And, of course, Katonivere spoke for all Pacific Islanders at this international platform, Brown-Vitolio said. She too, was excited about the acceptance of the Islands Programme of Work and positioning SPREP for the work that lies ahead. While the conference of parties is over, the implementation of agreed initiatives can now begin.

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