21 Sep 2004

Tahiti's Green Party calls to transform SPREP agreements into action

8:28 am on 21 September 2004

French Polynesia's Green Party has criticised the Pacific Regional Environmental Program for not putting words into action.

The criticism follows the organisation's first ever meeting in Tahiti.

Spokesman for Tahiti's Ecology Party, Jack Bryant, says that it's high time SREP's written agreements were transformed into acts.

Mr Bryant told Tahiti Pesse that SPREP was an organisation with an international dimension, which stands for provisions to protect natural resources.

However, he says in reality, SPREP's provisions are rarely put into effect once Pacific goverments return home from regional meetings.

Mr Bryant referred specifically to French Polynesia's Leeward Island of Bora Bora with its problem of dryness and industrialised water.

The Greens spokesman says the Island's natural resouces have been exhausted for the needs of the island's deluxe hotels.

Meanwhile, the Tahiti meeting endorsed a new strategic plan for SPREP, establishing two major new programs - Island Ecosystems and Pacific Futures - that will take a long-term approach to work.