Held at Outrigger on the Lagoon, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, the three-day IPMEN 2012 conference concluded with several key outcomes, including commitments from UNESCO and the Fiji Ministry of Education to undertake immediate initiatives to strengthen the role of marine education and traditional knowledge as a path to sustainable development in the Pacific region.
“Pacific Islanders, who are custodians of the rich but threatened marine biodiversity in the region, have for centuries applied customary management practices in the traditional governance of their fishing grounds,” noted associate professor Joeli Veitayaki, coordinator of the Marine Studies Division at the University of the South Pacific (USP). “While remnants of the system remain today, the people have witnessed increasing threats as they have to share their resources with other people with whom they must now work to ensure its sustainability.”
Hosted by the USP Marine Studies Division and Institute of Applied Science, the conference brought together 87 participants from a dozen countries to address ways marine education can help Pacific communities prepare for the new millennium. The conference topics included climate change impacts on Pacific children, incorporating traditional and place-based knowledge to build healthy coastal communities, the changing role of women in fisheries, and gaps in existing Pacific marine education.
IPMEN 2010 was held in Fiji.
See the presentations from Fiji captured by the College of Exploration on Vimeo
IPMEN 2010 Flyer (pdf) 2010 Fiji Flyer
IPMEN 2010 Brochure (pdf) 2010 IPMEN Brochure
IPMEN 2010 Press Release (pdf) 2010 IPMEN Press Release
IPMEN 2010 Results (pdf) 2010 IPMEN Results