11 Sep 2006

Environment ministers meeting in New Caledonia consider resource depletion and climate change

10:43 am on 11 September 2006

Waste, natural resource depletion and climate change are the focus of a meeting of the Pacific's environment ministers which begins in New Caledonia today.

Ministers from 25 Pacific Island countries and territories are in Noumea attending the 17th conference of the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, or SPREP.

The Apia-based director of SPREP, Asterio Takesy, says the three-day meeting will look at the conservation and management of flora and fauna, coastal erosion, the control of waste and overfishing.

Mr Takesy says it's hoped that a region-wide agreement can be reached over an island biodiversity programme.

"I'm hopeful that with a focus on a regional basis especially by our ministers, the highest political level in the environmental area, that we can raise the profile of envirionmental concerns of our region which are not always very attractive politically."

Mr Takesy says a coordinated approach to environmental issues would help the organisation gain financial assistance from external donors.