Tonga to host whale saving initiative

TONGA – Tonga is to host a regional conference to discuss whale conservation in the Pacific in Nuku‘alofa.

The three day event will run from April 4-6, to be attended by delegates from around the Pacific as well as conservationists.

The Whales in a Changing Ocean conference is an initiative of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

The conference is part of a two-year campaign by the SPREP to protect Pacific whales from extinction.

The conference will include presentations by conservationist leaders and academics, and focuses on emerging threats to whales from problems such as entanglement, noise pollution, marine debris and climate change.

The Pacific Ocean is home to over half the world’s whales.

Tonga’s Vava‘u is an essential location of whale conservation as it is a breeding ground for Humpback Whales. Whale watching has become an important tourist attraction and revenue earner for Tonga.

The current population of Humpback Whales is estimated to be around 80,000. Commercial humpback whaling was banned in 1966 when the Humpback Whale population numbered around only 5000.

Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni and SREP director General Kosi Latu will lead the presentations.

The conference aims to:

- Assess emerging threats to whales from changes occurring in our oceans.

- Review the ecosystem and economic value of whales in the Pacific Islands .

- Promote best practice whale watching throughout the region and explore innovative programmes underway around the world.

- Provide an update on the status and trends of whales in the Pacific Islands region.

- Bring together government representatives and senior officials to discuss future collaborations on the conservation of whales in the region, as a precursor to the review of SPREP’s marine species programme.

- Prepare a regional perspective for upcoming international fora, including the United Nations Oceans Conference in June.

- PNC/SPREP