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As parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gather in Bali, Indonesia to initiate a fresh effort to develop a global strategy to address climate change, the case for basing that strategy on early, deep cuts in emissions is being aggressively touted. To reinforce that case, the argument is being made that if such a strategy is not adopted, developing countries like China and India will be those most adversely affected.

The Pacific Islands region that is served by SPREP covers 32 million km2 and is in the middle of the largest continuous marine habitat on the planet, the Pacific Ocean. This region is home to a diverse range of large marine animals, including cetaceans, sirenians and marine turtles. Over half of the world’s known species of cetaceans are found in the region. The area also supports the world’s largest remaining populations of dugongs, and green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles.

Achieving biodiversity conservation whilst addressing the broader aims of sustainable development, is presenting a challenge for countries the world over. This is particularly so for small island developing states. Top down legal approaches have had limited success and attention has now turned to bottom up, participatory mechanisms. There have been many community- based marine biodiversity conservation projects in the South Pacific but in order to ensure their longevity and legitimacy greater legal support is necessary. One approach that may be effective in this regard involves the blending of customary law and legislation, as illustrated by the experiences of Samoa and Vanuatu.