‘This is the moment’

Famed oceanographer Sylvia Earle is urging Pacific people to ”make a powerful difference“ in the worldwide movement to conserve the oceans.

Speaking to a group of Pacific journalists on Saturday, Earle pointed out that people make the laws, however arbitrary, that govern the use and management of the planet’s seas.

A passionate explorer and lover of the world’s oceans, Earle spoke briefly about the value of water to every person on the planet – Pacific and industrial nations alike.

And while much of the world’s oceans is still unknown and unexplored, what is known is the sea’s intrinsic value to our ecosystem and even to our bodies.

”All life needs water whether you live on the top of a mountain or a desert. If you’ve never seen the ocean or touched the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water that falls out of the sky,“ Earle said.

The explorer and author is supportive of the Cook Islands marine park initiative, and applauds government for sticking its neck out and taking a stand.

”The decisions you make will set the pace and others will follow. It’s all up to you,“ she told Pacific media.

”We are now bound by decisions that people like you made decades ago. You can set the pace.“

Earle called the Forum an important turning point in ocean conservation, as it represents a gathering of leaders whose nations cover a vast area of Pacific Ocean.

”I’m so honoured to be here to witness what you’re doing,“ she said.

She pointed out that still the high seas are still largely unmanaged and unsupervised, a pressing issue she hopes Pacific leaders will consider as a priority.

”We have a chance with the large EEZ you have coupled with policies that will forever influence what you do on the high seas,“ she said.

”This is the moment. I hope you understand the gravity, the importance of what you’re actually experiencing.“