December 2011
Coral Triangle Initiative
Australian Government Quarterly Newsletter
Solid foundations laid:
the Coral Triangle
Initiative (CTI) Third
Ministerial Meeting and
Seventh Senior Officials
Meeting
The Coral Triangle Initiative Seventh
Senior Officials Meeting and the Third
Ministerial Meeting were held at
Jakarta, Indonesia on 25-27 October
and 28 October respectively, and
marked an important milestone.
The member countries agreed to four
legal documents establishing the
foundations for governance
arrangements for the initiative, and a
roadmap that outlines the steps to
establishing a permanent secretariat by
the start of 2013.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Ministerial Meeting endorsed a
process to develop a regional financial
resources strategy, identifying priority
support needs and opportunities. It will
be shared at a financial roundtable—
planned for May 2012—that will target
current and potential donors including
states, civil society and the private sector.
CTI Ministers and the Hon Tony Burke MP at the Third Ministerial Meeting.
Photo CTI National Secretariat, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Republic of Indonesia.
Reports on national and regional
implementation for the CTI were also
considered at the meeting, with the first
annual report (2009–2011) due to be
finalised in early 2012.
We would like to acknowledge the efforts
of the previous leaders. We are confident
that those incoming will continue this
hard work, and drive a quick transition to
a permanent CTI secretariat.
The chair and vice chair of the Initiative’s
Council of Ministers and Group of Senior
Officials rotated, from Indonesia and the
Solomon Island to Malaysia and Papua
New Guinea.
Congratulations and thank you to all
those who organised the meetings and
all participants who made it such a great
success.
Solid foundations laid
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Australia and the Coral Triangle
Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries
Minister Burke
reaffirms support for the CTI
2
Update on Australian Government CTI support: Solomon Islands
2
October Financial Resources Working Group (FRWG) Meeting
3
Improving marine conservation in Timor‑ Leste
4
Australian Government CTI support update: Timor‑ Leste
5
Vulnerability of Pacific fisheries and aquaculture to Climate Change
5
Pacific Island Biodiversity: building on Nature’ s resilience
6
AusAID grant programs list for 2011– 2012
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and Food Security
The CTI is a partnership—between
Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea,
the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor
Leste—focused on improving marine
conservation and management, and
through this, sustainable livelihoods, food
security and economic development.
Australia is a strong supporter of the CTI
and is one of six formal partners. Australian
Government support for the CTI is outlined
in a series of documents that can be found
online at environment.gov.au/cti
Minister Burke
Reaffirms Australia’s
support for the CTI
The Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister
for Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities,
represented Australia at the CTI
Third Ministerial Meeting. He
was accompanied by Australia’s
Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Greg
Moriarty; Dr Paul Grimes, Secretary
of the Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population
and Communities (DSEWPaC); and
DSEWPaC officials Mr Stephen
Oxley and Mr Travis Bover.
Mr Burke was invited to make a
statement in his role as a development
partner observer to the Ministerial
Meeting. He reaffirmed Australia’s
support for the CTI, and encouraged
the six Coral Triangle countries
to work towards strong ‘blue economy’
outcomes at the June 2012
Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable
Development, indicating that Australia
was prepared to cooperate towards this
end.
“The Coral Triangle is vital to the
region’s economic and food security,
and it is important that it remains
DSEWPaC Secretary, Dr Paul Grimes; the Hon Tony Burke MP; DSEWPaC officials,
Mr Stephen Oxley and Mr Travis Bover.
Photo Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Republic of Indonesia.
healthy for generations to come,” Mr
Burke said.
the region, in sectors such as climate
change adaptation and fisheries
“With our globally-recognised expertise management, whose goals complement
in areas of marine and coastal research, the initiative.
planning and management, Australia
As a continuation of Australia’s ongoing
is well-placed to support the activities
support to establish a permanent
under the Initiative.”
secretariat, Mr Bover and Mr Peter
Thomas, an organisational expert
The Third Ministerial Meeting was
funded by the Australian Government
preceded by a Senior Officials meeting,
to support the CTI transition from an
where Mr Bover shared information on
interim to a permanent CTI Regional
Australia’s direct CTI support, including
Secretariat, worked behind the
the Australian Government Support
scenes with the CT6 at the Senior
Plan and $2.5 million in activities
Officials Meeting to ensure successful
announced in July 2011. He also noted
outcomes could be achieved at the Third
Australia’s broader investments in
Ministerial Meeting.
Update on Australian
Government CTI
support:
implementation planning
for the Solomon
Islands National Plan
of Action and Provincial
Government review
Solomon Islands. Photo Kate Dunkerley
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As part of its efforts to deliver CTI
support in the Solomon Islands, the
Australian Government is working
closely with marine expert Dr Hugh
Govan, to provide direct assistance
to the Solomon Islands National
Coordinating Committee (NCC) and
the Ministry of Environment, Climate
Change, Disaster Management and
Meteorology (MECDM). The work
Coral Triangle Initiative
Australian Government Quarterly Newsletter
December 2011
(cont...)
involves prioritised implementation
planning for the National Plan of Action
(NPOA).
On 16 November, an initial in-country
workshop was held with the NCC
to discuss progress of the NPOAs
implementation, and identify gaps in
support.
The workshop participants discussed
another component of the support,
which seeks to identify the needs
of Solomon Islands provincial level
governments in supporting community
based resource management (CBRM).
This component of the activity
recognises the considerable role that
provincial governments play in
supporting CBRM, and particularly the
recent joint communiqué on
the Coral Triangle Initiative and CBRM,
which was made at the first Provincial
Premier/Mayor Environment
roundtable, 12–15 September 2011 at
Gizo, Western Province. The
roundtable event was the first step in
establishing a coordinating mechanism
between the national, provincial
governments and city councils for
CBRM efforts in support of CTI
objectives. At the event,
leaders agreed to collaborate, share
information, experiences and expertise, and
advocate developing policies to achieve the
objectives of the CTI.
It is envisaged that a key outcome
from this activity will be a set of
recommendations on how provincial
government capacity needs in regards
to CBRM might best be addressed.
This will assist the NCC and MECDM
with policy development and planning,
and help coordinate donor support for
provincial governments.
In-country consultations for both
activities will recommence in February
2012.
Coral garden, DSEWPaC
October Financial
Resources Working
Group Meeting:
first steps towards
sustainable finance for
the CTI
The CTI Financial Resources Working
Group (FRWG) held its inaugural
meeting in Kuala Lumpur from 12 to13
October 2011. Chaired by Indonesia, the
group has been mandated by Senior
Officials and Ministers to develop
a financial resources strategy for
phase 1 of the CTI.
Phase 1 has been characterised as
the ‘investment phase’ – focusing
on short term funding needs to get
the CTI up and running. Phase 2 will
be the ‘sustainable finance phase’
which considers longer term funding
FRWG Meeting attendees, 12 - 13 October 2011, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo MMAF
needs, and ways to generate funds in a
sustainable way.
guidance to new and potential donors
on how to contribute.
The meeting was successful, with the
participants agreeing on the general
content areas, structure and drafting
process for the phase 1 strategy. Once
completed, the strategy will articulate
the priority funding needs for regional
scale CTI activities in 2012–13, and give
The document will become a key
input to the CTI Financial Roundtable,
scheduled to be held in Manila in
May 2012. Australia looks forward
to continuing to support the FRWG
towards this goal.
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Improving marine
conservation in
Timor‑ Leste: Australian
Youth Ambassador Kathy
Sinclair, volunteering to
promote change
Kathy Sinclair has a keen interest
in travel. This interest, mixed with
a similar enthusiasm for
conservation and a passion for
volunteering, lead Kathy to TimorLeste where, as an Australian
Youth Ambassador (AYAD), she
works to promote change as
the support officer for International
Marine Forums, within the TimorLeste Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries’ National Directorate of
Fisheries and Aquaculture (NDFA).
Kathy’s fascinating journey started in
her native Western Australia where
she completed a Bachelor of Arts in
Psychology and English with
Honours in Psychology at the
University of Western Australia.
After her undergraduate degree, she
developed an interest in conservation
of the natural environment and
environmental issues, which lead to a
Postgraduate Diploma in Ecologically
Sustainable Development, followed
by a Masters of Environmental
Science which she is currently
undertaking at Murdoch University.
Kathy’s enthusiasm for travel has
taken her to a number of beautiful
places around the globe—including
Sweden where she spent time on
exchange while completing her
Kathy at Nino Konis Santana National Park, Timor Leste.
Photo Kathy Sinclair
undergraduate studies. It also took
Kathy to Cambodia—where she
lived while working for the
Department of Immigration and
Citizenship, and where she
discovered her passion for
volunteering, leading her to apply to
become an AYAD.
Ms Sinclair is enjoying her time in
Timor-Leste working with the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) which
leads the country’s engagement in
several regional marine-related forums,
such as: the CTI; the Arafura Sea and
Timor Sea Expert Forum (ATSEF);
Partnerships in Environmental
Management for the Seas of East Asia
(PEMSEA); and the Regional Plan of
Action (RPOA) to promote responsible
fishing practices including to combat
illegal, unreported and unregulated
(IUU) fishing. Kathy will be working
with MAF to develop procedures and
communication protocols for Timor
Leste’s planning for, and engagement
with, these regional forums.
Ms Sinclair comes directly from
a job working for the Department
of Water, Western Australia. Her work
has given her a strong understanding
of the importance of natural resource
management and the need for clear
planning and consultation with
communities and the private and
public sectors.
“ I’ve found the staff in the National
Directorate of Fisheries and
Aquaculture really supportive,”
says Ms Sinclair.
“They have wealth of knowledge about
marine issues in the region. Also I
recently visited the Nino Konis Santana
National Park, which includes Jaco
Island and the associated marine
park. It’s truly a unique place and the
abundance of fish was amazing! I’m
looking forward to working with my
colleagues on the range of marine
initiatives taking place in Timor-Leste.”
Coral garden, DSEWPaC
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Coral Triangle Initiative
Australian Government Quarterly Newsletter
December 2011
Australian Government CTI support update:
mapping and assessment
of coastal-marine habitats in Timor-Leste
The rollout of Australian Government CTI support activities has begun in Timor
Leste with commencement of the mapping and assessment of coastal-marine
habitats on the south coast.
The activity, which is being implemented by Charles Darwin University, will
involve broad-scale mapping of the marine and coastal habitats of the TimorLeste south coast to produce a national dataset and map for use by the TimorLeste Government. It will identify the distribution of key broad habitat classes
using Landsat satellite imagery, verified through field surveys to currently
unsurveyed regions.
This activity will enable the Timor-Leste Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
(MAF) to build on previous mapping research from the north coast, and fill
information gaps for the south coast. It also includes a capacity-building
element—targeted at selected staff within the Agriculture and Land Use
Geographic Information System (ALGIS) team of MAF, which aims to
improve skills in broad-scale habitat mapping, spatial data analysis and
knowledge management.
Staff from Charles Darwin University visited Dili in October to meet with staff
at the ALGIS and plan for implementation. Existing data is currently being
compiled and the team expects to commence image pre-processing and
training in February 2012, followed by fieldwork from April 2012.
Timor Leste coastline. Photo Sara Takegami
Vulnerability of tropical Pacific fisheries and
aquaculture to climate change
The Seventh Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) conference held in Noumea,
New Caledonia on 7–8 November 2011 saw the launch of a major peer-reviewed book,
Vulnerability of tropical Pacific fisheries and aquaculture to climate change.
The book documents the results of a three-and-a-half year project—designed and coordinated by SPC, and funded by AusAID. It provides a comprehensive assessment of
the climate change vulnerability of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture industries, the
habitats that support them, fish stocks and fishing communities.
The Pacific nations depend heavily on the benefits derived from the marine
environment, and the book describes the implications of projected changes on food
security, economic development and livelihoods. The linkages between the sustainable
management of natural resources and the health of the environment cannot be overemphasised, and the book outlines adaptation initiatives, supporting policies and
investments required to capitalise on opportunities and reduce these threats. The book
will be submitted to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for its use
compiling its Fifth Assessment Report.
The book is supported by a 2010 report commissioned by the Forum Fisheries Agency
and SPC, The future of Pacific Island fisheries. It maps out the key threats to oceanic,
coastal, aquaculture and freshwater fishery sectors, scenarios that could result in the
benefits from this sector being lost, and seven key objectives supported by 15 strategic
actions to maintain these benefits.
Aquaculture Monodon prawns in Aceh, Indonesia.
Photo International Finance Corporation
The book can be found at http://cdn.spc.int/climate-change/fisheries/assessment/
The report, The future of Pacific Island fisheries, can be found at http://www.spc.
int/fame/doc/corporate_docs/Future_of_PI_fisheries_Report.pdf
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Pacific Island Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Climate Change Adaptation:
building on Nature’s resilience
The Pacific Island Biodiversity,
Ecosystems and Climate Change
Adaptation: Building on Nature’s
Resilience report, and an associated
toolbox on CD, is the result of
collaboration between the secretariat of
the Pacific Regional Environment
Program, and Conservation
International. It is designed to
support decision-makers to better
consider biodiversity conservation and
ecosystem services in their climate
change adaptation planning. It compiles
information on biodiversity and climate
change in the Pacific, and provides a
preliminary analysis of the information to
identify and develop a strategy to fill
critical data gaps.
that currently exist: ‘environmental
infrastructure’ in the form of
ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA).
EbA is a strategy recognised within
the Convention for Biological Diversity
(CBD) that aims to integrate planned
adaptation strategies with ecosystem
services to reduce the vulnerability
and increase the resilience humans to
climate change.
The report also calls for a new approach
to terrestrial, coastal and marine
adaptation responses to climate change,
in addition to the infrastructure and
community-based approaches
More information can be found at:
www.sprep.org/att/publication/
000931_PIBioEcoCCAdaptation.pdf
The report was funded by the Australian
Government’s International Climate
Change Adaptation Initiative (ICCAI),
which is delivering a coordinated
package of development assistance
to vulnerable countries in Australia’s
region, the Caribbean and Africa, to
adapt to the impacts of climate change.
A man fishes on the coast of West Lombok,
Indonesia. Photo Josh Estey.
AusAID competitive
grant programs list
online for 2011– 2012
The online table provides an indication
of the competitive grants expected
to be available during the 2011–
2012 financial year (July–June).
More information can be found at:
www.ausaid.gov.au/business/grantsannualplan.cfm
Palm trees as ‘environmental infrastructure’.
Photo Sara Takegami
CONTACT US
The Australian Agency for
International Development, known as
AusAID, is the Australian Government
agency responsible for managing
Australia’s overseas aid program. It
manages a range of competitive grant
programs (CGPs), each with their
own specific guidelines, objectives,
timing and eligibility requirements,
designed to support the Australian aid
program’s objectives.
Any questions,
thoughts,
suggestions
CLICK HERE
CTIAUSFocalPoint@environment.gov.au
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