PS MINISTRY OF WATERWAYS AND ENVIRONMENT MERE SIQILA LAKEBA’S SPEECH AT THE CELEBRATING BIODEV2030 FIJI PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS AND BIODIVERSITY COMMITMENTS

The IUCN Regional Director for Oceania, Mr Mason Smith
Government Ministries representatives  
Members of the NGO Community
Members of the Kava Stakeholders
Ladies and Gentleman,

It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today to  celebrate  BIODEV2030 Fiji project achievements and biodiversity commitments.

The Earth's biological resources are vital to humanity's economic and social development. As a result, there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to the present and for the future generations.

At the same time, the threat to species and ecosystems has never been as great as it is today. Species extinction caused by human activities continues at an alarming rate.

Ladies and Genetleman, nearly 1 million species of plants and animals are now threatened with extinction. In many ways, this woke the world to the urgency of the crisis facing biodiversity that is degrading today at an unprecedented rate.

The loss of clean air, drinkable water, pollinating insects, forests and species pose a big a threat to species survival as climate change. Together we want to reverse the biodiversity loss and halt the extinction trend.

Ladies and Gentleman, I understand that with the aim to reverse the curve and promote more sustainable and resilient economies, IUCN collaborates with Expertise France and WWF-France to catalyze the BIODEV2030 initiative, an initiative that aligns to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Ministry of Environment is the National Focal Point to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); and to further Fiji’s commitment to meet its obligation requirement under the CBD,  the Ministry of Environment endorsed the BIODEV 2030 Project in collaboration with IUCN.
 
Ladies and Gentleman, the BIODEV 2030 Project is a two (2) year project that creates a platform for a national dialogue around strategic economic sectors relevant to the countries economy and biodiversity with the aim to foster ambitious scientific commitments and clear accountability mechanisms that bring about change.

Through this straregic approach, the BIODEV Project targets to set a platform for a science-decision-making interface that effectively build on a coherent and cross-sectoral national agenda to achieve its objective by 2030

Ladies and Gentleman, I note that the BIODEV2030 Fiji project has experimented with an innovative methodology to promote biodiversity mainstreaming in the most impacting sectors. This method is based on 3 key steps. It includes:
1.            A scientific biodiversity threats assessment
2.            A deep sectoral analysis
3.            A multi-stakeholder dialogue to foster sectoral voluntary
                commitments.

With the use of the methodology it has been identified, that kava and coastal fisheries sector are causing biodiversity loss in Fiji.

With the deep sectoral analysis, the pilot area of focus for Kava sector is Cakaudrove Province due to high influx of kava farmers and the area is also considered as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA).

Ladies and Gentleman, through the BIODEV 2030 project, more than 600 stakeholders were consulted during the project consultations and with move to inspire change.

Today, it gives me great pleasure to announce 13 endorsed biodiversity conservation commitments from kava stakeholders, Natewa/Tunuloa, Taveuni & Qamea Island.

Ladies and Gentleman, as we speak, the CBD COP 15 meeting in Montreal has just concluded in which the Post 2020 Global Biodiversiry Framework has been negotiated that will determine this moment for biodiversity.

It will also mark the beginning of transformative change and 2050 Vision of the Convention: living in harmony with nature and an ambitious and achievable post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

But to transform our economies to benefit biodiversity, we must know where to start. What are the main threats to tackle to reverse biodiversity loss? What are the key economic sectors causing these threats? This requires a  transformational solutions across society, politics and economics.

Let me end my remarks today with a quote from Williams et al 2020 that “we must halt any further extinctions, reduce the extinction risk of those species that are threatened, and recover and maintain populations of species in their native range at levels to ensure their survival and the continued functioning of ecosystems.”

The Ministry of Waterways and Environment would like to acknowledge and thank IUCN for this initiative in its coordination of the BIODEV Project in Fiji and for the strengthened collaboration amongst stakeholders towards actions that protects and conserve Fiji’s biological diversity.

I also would like to thank the Vanua and Chiefs of the Natewa/Tunuloa, Taveuni & Qamea Island for their support.

Averting the biodiversity crisis in Fiji depends not only on action by the Ministry but through consolidated effort and cooperation from all relevant organisations present here today.

I wish you all the very best in your celebratation of  BIODEV2030 Fiji project achievements and biodiversity commitments.