The Assistant Minister for Environment,
Director General SPREP,
Acting Head of the European Union in the Pacific
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Bula vinaka and a very good morning.

It’s a pleasure to be with you all today to kick off this Clean Pacific Roundtable. This is one of several landmark events that have taken place in Fiji this year dedicated to the health and preservation of our environment, and I have full confidence that you all will build on the progress that we’ve already made to secure a greener future for Fiji, for the Pacific region, and for the world.

In June of last year, I was in New York where, alongside our friends from the Government of Sweden, Fiji co-hosted the first-ever UN Conference on Oceans. It was there the community of nations made the first call to action to drive a coordinated international effort to preserve the health of our oceans, seas and marine resources. And the over 1300 voluntary commitments made by countries, businesses, organisations and others at the conference was only the start of what has become a global crusade to reverse the damage done to our oceans and end the abuse of our ocean resources.

Our leadership abroad, and our management of oceans and marine resources in Fiji, are both driven by our commitment to ensure that the many lives and livelihoods that depend on our ocean economy will be secure for generations to come. Our mission, is to ensure that our thousands of fishermen, dive instructors, researchers, and tourism workers all continue to see a direct benefit from cleaner and more sustainable seas. And that we respect the bounty of our oceans offer by managing our oceans resources in a sustainable manner, striking a balance that sustains the livelihoods of our citizens, and that guarantees that their children, and their children after them can so too rely on our oceans, and the health of our marine life, and know that same sense of security and certainty that our ocean has provided Pacific people for all of our history.

But it isn’t only about economic security. In Fiji, and throughout the Pacific, our ocean is a piece of how we form our identities, how we see ourselves, how we understand our histories and how we define the many cultures celebrated by our people. As is all of our ocean life; our sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, birds and fish all hold deep meaning in Fijian society. And our commitment must also apply to even the smallest of ocean creatures that may not be as well-known or handsome enough to put on our dollar notes, but that matter equally for the health and vitality of our ecosystem.

In fact, that list is growing as new creatures are still being uncovered; just last month, a new species of Nautilus was discovered in Savusavu and appropriately named after Fiji. I hope to see SPREP’s full support of our work to protect the rich biodiversity of the Pacific to make for a future where discoveries like this will mark the headlines rather than news of species facing endangerment, or dying out entirely.

Because, ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to our oceans, it’s clear that there is still a great deal of the unknown. Meanwhile, what we do know –– and what becomes clearer every year –– is that it plays a crucial role in the overall health of our environment and our climate. And we also know that, unfortunately, the ocean bears much of the worst brunt of the damages sowed by man-made emissions and pollution.

That’s why my Government is leading by example in assisting the region address the troubling increase of marine debris, plastics, and micro-plastics that are plaguing the Pacific. Threatening the lives of our precious ocean life, this waste is extremely troubling for nations like Fiji who rely so heavily on keeping our seas both pristine and sustainable. Because we are so vulnerable to the effects of marine debris, it is absolutely essential for all Pacific leaders to look at this issue with urgency, and to lead the world with action.

I’ve said it before –– Pacific Island nations are responsible for just a tiny share of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, but that does not mean that we can’t still be leaders in instituting real policy changes and striving for the most ambitious targets for curbing pollution. That’s why I have been proud to serve as COP23 President, and why I carried the voices of vulnerable Pacific Islanders everywhere with me to the global stage in Bonn.

This same reasoning very much applies to plastic waste; most of the plastic that ends up in our waters doesn’t come from Fiji, or from any of our Pacific Island neighbours, but from much larger and wealthier countries. But that doesn’t mean we get a pass. Nor do our businesses or citizens.

That is why my Government instituted a tax on single-use plastic bags, which was raised from 10 to 20 cents just this month, as part of our commitment to completely phase out the use of plastic bags in Fiji by 2020. I challenge the private sector to consider similar innovative ways to challenge the status quo; our hotels, our stores, and even our bottled water companies need to realise that the world is entering into a new era of conscious consumption –– one in which depending on plastic will prove to be both environmentally and economically unsustainable. I assure you, it’s smart business to adapt now to survive in a greener future.

From all sectors of society and in our own lives, we each need to do our part to make sure that the oceans are no longer seen as a dumping ground. The same goes for our waterways, our rivers, our bays and our beaches, and the same goes for all of Fiji. Because rubbish that starts by the side of the road, very often ends up washed into the sea. Every single piece of rubbish represents one thoughtless decision made by someone who couldn’t have been bothered to make the effort to dispose properly of their waste. Well, all those thoughtless decisions are adding up, and it is our environment, our marine life, our economic security and the welfare of our people that is threatened as a result.

I want to be clear, my Government can install waste bins – and we are doing just that, as we’ve funded nationwide standardisation of rubbish bins and a stepped campaign of rubbish collection in our latest budget. What we cannot do is force people to use them. That’s a decision that individuals must make, that communities must make. It is an expectation we all must set for each other, and it is a patriotic duty we must all fulfil for the health, safety – and indeed the security – of our nation. This is a cultural change that starts at home and in the classroom, and it is a change that’s seeing particular momentum among our youth –– I’ve been incredibly encouraged to see young people of the Pacific taking the lead as some of the world’s most outspoken and active climate warriors.

Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to match that energy and enthusiasm in your discussions over the course of the next three days here in Suva. I also encourage you to match the same drive that has made COP23 a success –– the drive for maximum ambition. Because as the world progresses, technology develops, and our people become more aware of the dire need for action, the road ahead will put your goals within reach sooner than you might imagine possible.

I thank you again for your work, and wish you all the best in the days ahead.

Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.