May 12, 2009 00:18 AM

World Ocean Conference To Face Climate Change

MANADO (North Sulawesi), May 11 (Bernama) -- A global conference on oceans opened here Monday to highlight the threat from global warming that will accelerate the destruction of precious marine resources.

Attended by delegates from some 70 countries and scores of international organisations, and about 1,000 scientists and climate change experts, the World Ocean Conference (WOC) 2009 focuses on hopes from the oceans at the forefront of climate change and food security.

According to the organising committee, the WOC 2009 would discuss current marine issues related to climate change, and how the world can wisely utilise the ocean to weather the crisis.

The WOC 2009 is expected to create a more aligned global vision and commitments from participating governments and institutions to work together to improve marine resource management.

Opening the Senior Officials Meeting, Indonesian Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said it was clear that precious marine resources were under dire and increasing threat and that in many parts of the world, climate change would accelerate their destruction.

"Indeed many people fear that the processes causing climate change are now beyond control resulting in resources declining and increased competition for what is left," he said, adding that however, scientists believed there were still hope that the situation could be slowed down, stabilise or even reverse.

He said the world must think positively without being over-optimistic and that more research both basic and applied was needed especially on the role of and the impacts on the marine environment which were still less understood than terrestrial or atmospheric phenomena.

"We must work together to promote and advocate better understanding of the linkages between oceans and climate change and the adverse impacts of climate change on ecosystems, marine biodiversity and coastal communities," he added.

Malaysia will be participating in the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Summit on Friday, a parallel event to the WOC 2009, along with Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste, and two partner countries, the USA and Australia.

-- BERNAMA

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