MEDIA RELEASE

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ALEXANDER DOWNER

FA115

25 August 1998

Forum Endorses Australian Initiative For Pacific Whale Sanctuary

South Pacific nations at the twenty ninth South Pacific Forum meeting in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, have given support to an Australian initiative for establishment of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary

This gives the go-ahead for further work on establishment of the Sanctuary, which would be an important symbol of regional goodwill and willingness to cooperate on shared environmental issues. The proposal was jointly developed with New Zealand.

Around two thirds of the world's cetaceans are found in the South Pacific Ocean, indicating the importance of the region for whale recovery and conservation.

Whalewatching is already a growing ecotourism industry in Australia and this Sanctuary will raise the profile of the South Pacific as an ecotourism destination.

This Forum outcome demonstrates the value of Pacific countries working together to raise the profile of the region on important global issues such as conservation of our natural heritage.

The Minister for the Environment, Senator Robert Hill, will be progressing the Forum outcome at a Workshop for Pacific countries and relevant regional organisation in Australia in October this year and later at the 1999 meeting of the International Whaling Commission.

POHNPEI

For further information: 

Innes Willox: + (691) 320 7145
Tony Melville: (02) 6261 1555