<< More about the Ocean and Islands Programme

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• Past Interventions
• Current Issues for Samoa
• Programme Response

The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the ocean and island ecosystems of Samoa create both opportunities and constraints to its development. The recognition of these ecosystems as components of the Earth system - a dynamic, complex blend of environmental, economic and social factors interacting in a myriad of ways - is absolutely fundamental to the understanding of sustainable development.

The overall goal of the Ocean and Islands Programme, to improve scientific knowledge of ocean and island ecosystems for the sustainable management of natural resources, demonstrates a clear role in ecosystem management, with interventions focused on mapping and monitoring the physical and chemical attributes of ecosystems, and providing resource use solutions and assessments to its Island States membership. The Ocean and Islands Programme also provides assistance and support towards the development of sound policies and regulations, and meeting obligations under various treaties and agreements.

Outputs under the ‘resource use solutions’ and ‘monitoring the physical and chemical change in ecosystems’ components of the Programme can address many of Samoa’s issues that relate to sustainable development. These issues will need to be considered by the Samoa Government when they develop their National Sustainable Development Strategy and related plan of action.

Past Interventions

• Training Samoa nationals in the SOPAC and University of the South Pacific (USP) joint Certificate in Earth Science and marine Geology. A programme established to provide technical training for personnel who would provide the geotechnical in-country support required to maintain on going and new programmes in the SOPAC area of operation.
• As part of Component 2 of the AusAID South Pacific Sea Level & Climate Monitoring Project Phase III, a geodetic survey program was carried out to measure movements of the crust at strategic sites with respect to the research station and also identifies changes to sea levels. The two different techniques for precise differential levelling survey were carried out in October 2004 tin conjunction with National Tidal Facility Australia (NTFA) and Geoscience Australia. Also the Calibration and Maintenance visit of the SEAFRAME stations (Tide Gauge) at the Apia Harbour as part of the Component 1; Sea Level recorder Network and Sea Level Databases. The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project Field Survey Activities has been carried out for the past twelve (12) years.
• In 2002 survey vessel MV Turagalevu completed a bathymetric survey mapping exercise covering area around the main islands of Upolu and Savai’i with the area of top priority being the passage of water being the islands, Apolima Strait. (Source: SOPACNEWS: No. 2004 (1); Jan – March)
• The Japan Marine Science and Technology Centre (JAMSTEC) in collaboration with SOPAC and with financial assistance from the Nippon Foundation convened a regional training workshop for young marine and meteorological professionals from developing island states in the equatorial and south-western Pacific region including Samoa. The workshop provided training on basic marine scientific and technological knowledge as well as handling techniques of oceanic and meteorological data to promising young marine professionals of Pacific Coastal States in the equatorial and the Southwestern Pacific ocean Region
• A review of coastal processing and analysis of historical coastal change in the vicinity of Apia in 1994. the purpose of the work is to assist the Western Samoan Government in management of coastal zone and the development of a sand dredging plan. (SOPAC Technical Report 208)
• Activities carried out to provide Resource Use Solutions between 2001 – 2002 included the mapping and modelling of Vaiusu Bay to assess a proposed fisheries port facility and old dredge workings
• Training of Samoa nationals in Maritime Boundaries Delimitation Project on the technical aspects of project. The aim of the workshop was to familiarise member countries with country-specified data in the Pacific Islands Regional Maritime Boundaries Information System (PIRMBIS), as well as the use of the delimitation software, MarZone?. Also, the focus at the workshop was to identify strategies towards effective option for completing country-specific maritime boundaries delimitation activities, such as survey strategies for the validation of base points.

Current Issues for Samoa

The following environmental, economic and social issues and concerns that can be addressed under the Oceans and Islands Programme, either wholly or in part, have been cited in various assessment reports and national development plans of Samoa:

• Need to strengthen marine resource management and monitoring regimes.
• Lack of quality data and poor data management in all sectors of environmental management.
• Overfishing, inshore environmental degradation, ongoing coastal developments, pollution and natural disasters have adversely affected the coastal resources and marine environment.
• Limited expertise in specialised areas relating to resource management.
• Need to harmonise national laws and customary systems.
• Need to coordinate and combine the different legislation that relates to marine resource conservation and management.
• Sediment and nutrient pollution of lagoons and damage to reef systems.

Programme Response

The Ocean and Islands Programme addresses the sustainable development of island ecosystems as a whole. This is reflected in the components of the programme, which tackle sustainable development issues through regional programmes as well as through specific requests from the member countries themselves. In response to specific issues in Samoa, the Ocean and Islands Programme has implemented or is currently involved in the following projects:

The following regional projects cover all SOPAC member countries including the Samoa Islands:

• The establishment and maintenance of a regional deep-sea minerals database.
• The Certificate of Earth Science and Marine Geology [CESMG] builds the capacity of island member nationals in the areas of applied geoscience and forms the basis, for some, to pursue higher education in degree courses in geoscience.
• SOPAC’s monitoring of the physical and chemical change in ecosystems of island member countries embraces the philosophy of Global Ocean Observing Systems [GOOS], which advocates public access to long-term oceanographic data and information. The recently established regional alliance of GOOS, the Pacific Islands – Global Ocean Observing System [PI-GOOS] , seeks to ensure that relevant applications for ocean observations and resulting products from global, regional and national long-term observing systems are developed and made available to Pacific Island end-users in order that they can make better decisions for sustainable development.
• The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project provides tide gauge and other data, and related products, collected over the past fifteen years. SOPAC provides an important maintenance and operations role for project equipment installations.
• SOPAC also offers assistance in the area of Ocean Governance, by offering professional development programmes for strengthening legal and negotiation skills of advocates for maritime boundary delimitation , the implementation of Part XIII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS] through the provision of technical skills and policy advice , and the coordination of issues related to the law of the sea in their member country regions.