http://www.sprep.org
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Home > Topic > Nature Conservation
The
Pacific Islands region covers 32 million sq km and is one of the richest on
earth, with habitats ranging from mountain forest ecosystems to volcanic islands
and low lying coral atolls
Amazingly, land makes up less than 2 percent of a region that includes over 7500 small volcanic islands and coral atolls. The huge expanse of ocean supports the most extensive and diverse coral reefs in the world, the largest tuna fishery, the deepest oceanic trenches and the healthiest and in some cases, largest remaining populations of many globally rare and threatened species including whales, sea turtles, dugongs and saltwater crocodiles.
The Pacific is home to a high proportion of endemic and threatened flora and fauna – for some islands over 80% of species are endemic. However, Pacific island biodiversity is under intense pressure from natural and human-induced disturbance, alien species introductions, population growth and other factors, and its flora and fauna are among the most highly threatened in the world. Furthermore, the small size and isolated nature of our islands makes them extremely vulnerable to these threats. Many of these endemic and threatened species are of material resource or spiritual/cultural significance to Pacific people.
SPREP's Natural Resource Management Division is primarily focused on the effective protection of the natural heritage of the Pacific islands region through the conservation and sustainable management of their natural resources and biodiversity. Its focal areas are: