#23 with Steve Raaymakers Sojourn in the South Pacific Welcome to the first appearance of Slick Talk from my new position at the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). When I first started writing for Reef Research in 1991 I was working with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. At the end of 1993 I moved to the Queensland Ports Corporation, and continued to write Slick Talk. With my recent assignment to SPREP, I am pleased to report that the Reef Research Editor has asked me to continue with this marine pollution 'news and views' column. y current role as Marine Pollution Adviser with SPREP obviously presents an opportunity to provide a more regional perspective to Slick Talk, and this article outlines the new program I am developing at SPREP. The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is a regional organisation, established by international convention, which works to assist member countries to achieve ecologically sustainable development and effective protection of their natural environments and biological resources. It consists of 26 member countries, being the Pacific Island states of American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna; and the 'metropolitan powers' of the United States of America, France, Australia and New Zealand. SPREP is funded by member country contributions and aid donations, both from various countries and international sources such as the United Nations and the Global Environment Facility (World Bank).

SPREP headquarters are located in Apia, Samoa, which is geographically central to the region. Its programs are divided broadly into areas such as biodiversity conservation, climate change (a huge issue for low-laying island states), integrated coastal management, waste management and pollution prevention and environmental education, information and training. As Marine Pollution Adviser I am working in the pollution prevention area. My first priority is to re-activate the SPREP/International Maritime Organization (IMO) Strategy for the Protection of the Marine Environment (SPREP/IMO Strategy). This Strategy primarily addresses shipping related pollution, a significant issue in many parts of the shipping- dependent Pacific. This Strategy was developed by SPREP in 1993, with technical assistance from the IMO. Unfortunately, for various reasons it has not yet been implemented. Given that it is now five years old, my first task is to revise and update the Strategy, ensuring its relevance, appropriateness and acceptance and endorsement by member countries. Physical implementation is then likely to be more effective. Without pre-empting the revision and updating process, initiatives that could be implemented under the Strategy may include: Assessment of shipping patterns throughout the South Pacific, including identification of high risk areas for shipping/pollution incidents. An assessment of the risk of foreign marine organisms being introduced to the region via ships' ballast water and hull fouling. A review of shipping incident/pollution prevention measures in the region, including: provision of navigation aids pilotage requirements maritime training port state control capabilities provision of ships' waste reception facilities. Completion of regional, national and port-specific oil spill contingency plans for the region. Establishment of a central, regional pollution incident reporting centre and database. Characterisation of the biological, chemical and physical environments of each port in the region, (including presence/absence of introduced marine species) and the establishment of long-term environmental monitoring programs for these ports. Characterisation of hydrodynamic conditions and circulation patterns, and modeling of likely pollution dispersal scenarios, for each port and high risk shipping area in the region. Monitoring of ship-sourced marine debris at selected high exposure (sink) coastal sites throughout the region. Improving regional marine pollution surveillance and enforcement capabilities. A major emphasis on education, training, extension and communication. The first two quarters of 1998 will focus on consultation with SPREP member countries, other regional organisations and international agencies to gain an understanding of their requirements and priorities. It is hoped that a revised and updated SPREP/IMO Strategy will be ready for implementation in the second half of 1998. Developments with the program will be reported in future appearances of Slick Talk. For further information I can be contacted at: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme PO Box 240, Apia, SAMOA Telephone (685) 21929 Facsimile (685) 20231 E-mail sprep@samoa.net

(Steve Raaymakers is currently engaged as Marine Pollution Adviser with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The views expressed by his authorship of 'Slick Talk' are not necessarily those of SPREP nor the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.)

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
PO Box 1379 TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810. Phone: (07) 4750 0700, Fax: (07) 4772 6093
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