Discussions and presentations made during the first International Conference for Marine Mammal Protected Areas have centred on greater monitoring and management of marine mammal sanctuaries.
More than 150 delegates from various groups around the world are attending the five-day conference in Hawaii to address their common interests.
Mike Donoghue for the New Zealand Department of Conservation says it is important for New Zealand to support and encourage Pacific Island nations in their ocean conservation efforts.
"The problem of course that Pacific Island countries have is they have these vast areas with very little resources to develop management programmes, to develop research programmes. On the other hand in the Mediterranean for example you have quite small areas which are very intensively studied and are quite intensively managed."
Mike Donoghue says the conference is a valuable meeting place for the exchanging of information and ideas.
