A monthly update of IUCN news in the Oceania region: June 2012

Palau gains World Heritage Status

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon in Palau has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming the country’s first World Heritage Site. The vast marine site of Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is recognised for its exceptional ecological diversity, coral reefs, lagoon and limestone islands and marine lakes. As a result of their isolation from each other, all 52 marine lakes are a diversity of different marine ecosystems.

Palau joins seven other countries from the Pacific, including Vanuatu and Kiribati, who already have sites inscribed on the List. Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is the 28th site from the region.

Australia to host IUCN World Parks Congress in 2014

A landmark global forum on parks and protected areas is to be hosted in Australia in November 2014. The IUCN World Parks Congress takes place only once every 10 years, and is the world’s most influential gathering of people involved in protected area management.

Invasive species – a major threat to our economies, says expert group

The Pacific Invasives Partnership is advocating prevention over cure and working with governments to strengthen biosecurity through stronger quarantine measures and permit systems to control introduction of potentially harmful species. The group held its annual meeting in Suva, Fiji from June 18 - 22.

Ride for a good cause

IUCN Oceania's Species Officer, Helen Pippard helped raise funds for the Fiji Flood Relief Fund by cycling around the island of Viti Levu (Fiji's main island) with nine other participants from June 2-8. Riding for a good cause the ten participants raised about FJ$12,000. For more information contact helen.pippard@iucn.org

Economics of coastal zone management in the Pacific

By Ram-Bidesi, Padma Narsey Lal and Nicholas Conner

The book discusses coastal zone management challenges by drawing attention to the effects of fundamental drivers of change; the ecological connectivity; and root causes of coastal resource and environmental issues using economic concepts, principles and paradigms. The potential role of market-based instruments in encouraging efficient and sustainable use of coastal resources is outlined through use of examples and case studies. The book also provides simple explanations on the conditions and circumstances where market-based instruments may not be relevant and effective and require alternative management systems to adequately address complex coastal resource and environmental management challenges.

There are over 250 regionally endemic species on the IUCN Red List – these are species that are found only in the Oceania region (Pacific Islands plus Australia and New Zealand), and represents 7% of all assessed species. The majority of regional endemics are birds, with 120 species, (approximately half) of all assessed regional endemics in the class Aves.