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Very fishy: Australia fails to see ocean for the fish

By Frances O'Brien - posted Friday, 22 June 2012


The world has come together at the Rio+20 Summit on sustainable development to decide our future and Australia is travelling under the banner of "Champion of the 'Blue Economy'".

For the people of the Pacific, developed and developing alike, it is not a moment too soon.

The 'Blue Economy' is a concept which calls for sustainable ocean management to be at the basis of economic development. The Pacific Region has high hopes for its acceptance, given their deep relationship with the ocean.

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In a report by the Center for Ocean Solutions, the Pacific Islands were identified as vulnerable to threats such as pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and ocean acidification.

These impacts will also affect the developed nations of Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr acknowledged these concerns, focusing on island states as befitting Australia's self-proclaimed role as champion.

"Small island developing states live most directly with the disastrous reality of climate change," Senator Carr said.

Yet Australia's plan of action reeks suspiciously of fish.

Four out of Australia's six original desired Rio+20 oceans outcomes relate to fisheries. There was little mention of other important marine issues such as ocean acidification and coral reef protection.

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One government spokesperson denied that this prioritisation of fisheries had come at the cost of other issues. However, another government spokesperson admitted that this focus was purely for tactical reasons.

Much of Australia's participation in collaborative regional activities are also fish-related.

In 2011, for example, the Australian army and border security services were part of the largest regional monitoring and surveillance operation of fisheries in the Pacific region, where fisheries are an important source of income.

According to UNESCAP, the sale of fishing licences to foreign fishing companies

provides Pacific Islands with US$60-70 million per annum.

This focus has been strongly reflected in the oceans negotiations at the summit, which Australia is facilitating.

Seven out of nineteen oceans paragraphs in the draft text focus on fisheries, a huge number when considering ocean acidification, ocean fertilisation and coastal erosion.

But an intense focus on fisheries alone fails to address the environment necessary for their success.

A spokesperson from Oceanwatch touched on these concerns.

"Development is decreasing fisheries productivity," he said, referring to the creation of industrial plants on the east coast of Australia.

"Estuaries are nurseries. Development is removing access to these habitats."

Associated seminars and less conferences have revealed a disconnect between concerns of scientific organisations and civil society and those of governments, as the latter calls for more interest in ecosystems protection.

In spite of this, New Zealand has named the draft text "ambitious" and some nations have been please with the outcome so far.

"We are putting a strong emphasis on oceans in New Zealand's contribution to Rio+20 because it is so important for our part of the world," said the New Zealand Minister for the Environment, Nick Smith.

Others are not so impressed.

One of island delegate stated that no one is fully happy with the text, despite their praise.

"I can live with it," the delegate said, "but I would like to see more on ecological effects."

A spokesperson from the World Bank provided some optimism.

"The general feeling is that, no matter what comes out of Rio, governments will take action."

Australiahas played an admirable role as mediator and facilitator, encouraging compromise and easing contentions.

But if Australia hopes to be a champion for the Pacific region, it will need a more holistic approach, particularly as Pacific Islands are poorly represented in the negotiations.

Aside from a few self-representing nations, the only other forum for Pacific Islands in the oceans negotiations appears to be the G77, a large and unwieldy group beset by factionalism and conflicting interests.

The Pacific region is comprised of Australia, New Zealand, and many small island nations, including Fiji and Kiribati.

There is estimated to be more than 23 000 islands in the area.

"We are not a small island developing country, but rather a large ocean developing economy," said H. E. Tom Murdoch, the Kiribati Finance Minister.

Rio+20 is a UN conference of sustainable development in areas such as ocean, jobs and energy.

The summit is predicted to be the largest UN conference yet, with over 150 heads of state and 50 000 participants.

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About the Author

Frances O'Brien is a member of the Global Voices Rio+20 Australian Youth Delegation and a student at Macquarie University's Global Leadership Program.

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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