Strengthening Marine Pollution Incident Resilience workshop concludes in Honiara
The 4-day workshop on strengthening marine pollution incident resilience in the Pacific concluded on a high note in Honiara over the weekend.
A group photo with the tabletop exercise map.
A four-day workshop focused on bolstering resilience to marine pollution incidents across the Pacific successfully concluded in Honiara over the weekend.
The event, titled “Strengthening Marine Pollution Incident Resilience in the Pacific,” was hosted to enhance regional collaboration and improve response capabilities to future marine pollution emergencies.
Funded by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP), part of the Blue Planet Fund, the workshop was delivered in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
The workshop brought together key stakeholders from across the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and regional agencies. Through this collaborative platform, participants explored ways to strengthen local and regional preparedness for marine pollution threats, including oil spills and potentially polluting shipwrecks.
By identifying gaps in existing contingency planning and fostering improved communication and coordination, the workshop significantly boosted the Pacific’s capacity to respond to marine incidents.
Participants also focused on enhancing their skills in engaging, assessing, and monitoring potentially polluting wrecks in the region. The collaborative environment allowed for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and the development of stronger strategies for dealing with environmental emergencies at sea.
Freya Goodsir, emphasised the success of the workshop, stating:
It was incredibly valuable to witness the passion and commitment of our colleagues in protecting our oceans, working together to enhance the’ ability to respond swiftly and effectively to any future threats to the marine environment and the livelihoods of communities.
Delegates from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Australia, Samoa, and the United States participated in the workshop, reinforcing regional ties and promoting collective action to safeguard the Pacific’s rich and vital marine ecosystems.
OCPP is funded by the UK government’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and is delivered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on behalf of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).