Coral Reef Task Force conference meets in Palau

For the first time, the annual Coral Reef Task Force Conference was held outside the continental United States, bringing the meeting to the Republic of Palau.

The United States and its island territories gathered in Palau from Nov. 3 to 7 to hold strategic planning for the conservation of Pacific coral reefs. The meeting included presentations on significant topics such as the role of outreach and education in coral reef conservation, efforts to address the effects of land-based pollution on coral reefs, and efforts to address the effects of climate change on coral reef ecosystems.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs David Cohen discussed the successful staging of the conference during the regular Saipan Rotary Club meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan yesterday noon.

Cohen said the conference was well represented, with Freely Associated States like the Federates States of Micronesia and Republic of Palau participating. He said it is very significant that even Palau is participating in the effort to protect and conserve its natural resources.

The Task Force conference heard reports from its members and the public on the present state of U.S. coral reef conservation and made several decisions on how to continue protecting them.

Cohen said the conference outlined 13 goals to be attained within the year. Some of these goals include understanding and monitoring the coral reef ecosystem better, creating more comprehensive maps of the coral reefs, increasing awareness on coral reefs’ social, economic and physical contribution to the region, reducing some impacts of negligent fishing and restoring damaged coral reefs, among others.

Created in 1990, the Coral Reef Task Force has been managed by the Department of the Interior and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Other agencies that have been helping are the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State Department, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, National Science Foundation, Department of Transportation, USAID, and NASA, among others.

Ranking officials from American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands attended the conference. Cohen said workshops are going to be conducted in the Western Pacific to meet the goals of coral reef protection.

Experts say that 20 percent of U.S. coral reefs have already been destroyed and 4 percent are in imminent danger of destruction. A 26 percent long-term decline has also been recorded in the condition of coral reefs today.