Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) and WWF gears up for Coral Triangle Day celebration on June 9

Date:

23 May 2018

Uploaded By:

Medy Kesuma Putra

Manado, Indonesia 23 May 2018 – Recognizing the importance of ocean conservation and raising awareness on protecting and conserving the Coral Triangle which is the global center of marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI-CFF) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are gearing towards the celebration of its annual Coral Triangle Day on June 9, 2018.

This year’s CT Day celebration continues the focus on increasing awareness on the impacts of plastic on marine environment and the destructive wastefulness of single use plastics such as straws, coffee cup lids, cotton buds and product packaging.

According to a research published in Journal Science, among the top 20 plastic polluters and countries found to be the source of plastic entering into the ocean are from China, followed by Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The research further noted that China, being the highest contributor to plastic marine debris contributed ca. 1.32 to 3.52 million tonnes a year, and Indonesia ca. 0.5-1.3 million tonnes per year. These plastics can get caught in corals and affect the health of reefs.

More critical is the prevalence of microplastics pollution that seeps into marine life, consumed by humans via seafood, tap water and other form of food. As microplastics are pervasive and persistent in nature, it has become a global environmental concern and potential risk to human populations.

In 2017, the #SayNo2plastic Instagram contest attracted 1,056 ingenious Instagram entries, hitting over 250,000 Facebook posts and generated over 6 million tweets with almost 4 million Instagram shares for all over the region.

Leveraging on the success of 2017, WWF and the CTI-CFF continues its collaboration to conduct #plasticresistance Instagram contest with the hope to initiate impactful and continuous campaign to help reduce use of plastics in the region.

In addition to the contest, CTI-CFF countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste; and its Development Partners are encouraged to take part in this annual event via its own national events. Public involvement events such as beach clean-ups, bazaars, fashion shows, sustainable seafood dinners and exhibitions, ocean film festivals and the like are opportunities to educate and encourage the public to make small lifestyle changes that can have significant impact on the environment and puts pressure on plastic manufacturers.

Further details of the Instagram Competition and Coral Triangle Day 2018 celebration is available at www.coraltriangleday.org.

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See the event here;
http://coraltriangleinitiative.org/events/coral-triangle-day-1

About CTI-CFF

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI -CFF) is a multilateral partnership of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste (CT6). The CT6 countries work together to preserve marine and coastal resources, and focus on critical key issues such as food security, climate change, and marine biodiversity. The CTI-CFF was established formally during the Leaders’ Summit in 2009 with approval of the leaders from the CT6 countries. They adopted the CTI Regional Plan of Action (CTI RPOA) which is a strategic action plan with five goals: (1) designation of effectively managed seascapes; (2) application of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management; (3) establishment of a fully functional marine protected area system; (4) strengthening climate change adaption and resilience; and (5) improving the status of threatened marine species.

About Regional Secretariat

The Regional Secretariat (RS) of the CTI-CFF is mandated to promote regional cooperation, knowledge sharing, and learning facilities within the six member countries of the Coral Triangle. The RS coordinates and monitors the progress of the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) goals. The RS coordinates and supports official meetings and events linked to the CTI-CFF process, including cross-cutting services in support of monitoring and evaluation, financial coordination, information management and outreach. It also coordinates the implementation of CTI-CFF RPOA and provides support to, and coordination with, NCCs, including advising the CTI-CSO on emerging opportunities and priorities to reaching the goals and targets of the RPOA. The RS also acts as the channel of communication and information sharing and foster networking among the Parties, CTI Partners and other organizations and donors in the efforts to promote the objectives of the CTI-CFF. The Regional Secretariat is currently based in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

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