Apia, Samoa – Samoa successfully completed its second round of national consultations for the First Draft of the Marine Spatial Plan. Over 11 weeks, the first MSP draft was presented to key sectors namely Fisheries, Tourism, Government, and NGOs/CSOs and to all 51 electoral districts across Savaii, Upolu, and even Manono Island for the communities' feedback and especially on the 11 proposed No Take Zones (NTZ) making up the 30% ocean protection goal for Samoa by 2030.

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The MSP is one of thirteen Samoa Ocean Strategy Integrated Management Solutions (IMS) to address factors which threaten the integrity and health of the marine environment in Samoa’s ocean. The MSP aims to better balance designs on how Samoa uses its ocean space for both production, development as well as protection and conservation.

 

The MSP Consultation Core Team (CCT) consist of representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries – Fisheries Division, Samoa Police, Prison & Corrections Services (SPPCS) – Division - Police Maritime Wing (PMW), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) & Conservation International.

 

The three main objectives for the second round of consultations were to:

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1. Report back to communities the findings of the first round of consultations which sought to understand and capture ocean use

2. To present/introduce the First MSP Draft and

3. To facilitate feedback on the first MSP Draft from communities and national sectors including Fisheries, Tourism, Civil societies, and CROP agencies as well as relevant Government Ministries.

 

The 2nd Phase commenced on the 12th of September and concluded on the 9th of December 2022.

 

Within 11 weeks, 70 individuals from the Tourism, Fisheries, NGO & CSO and Government, and over 1,300 people from 177 villages of 51 electoral districts were consulted. While the information gathered is being analysed, key feedback includes concerns regarding loss of fishing grounds and Government’s ability to effectively manage the proposed plan. Further, there was a lot of support for the protection of Samoa to ensure our waters remain healthy and abundant into the future.

 

The feedback received will feed into improving the first MSP Draft which aims to be completed in 2023.

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"This has been a positive consultation as it’s provided key concerns and opportunities that will only help us improve our current MSP Draft to ensure that Samoa's ocean remain healthy and Abundant for not only today but in the future especially with the many threats and pressures our waters face today from human activity as well as Climate Change Impacts,” - Mulipola Atonio, MSP Project Coordinator.

 

In collaboration with IUCN, the second round of national consultations for the MSP is provided under the Conservation International and the Waitt Institute support towards the implementation of the Samoa Ocean Strategy.

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For more information, please contact: 

 

MNRE: 

• Seumaloisalafai Afele Faiilagi, Assistant Chief Executive Officer afele.faiilagi@mnre.gov.ws  

• Taiatu Maria Satoa, Principal Marine Biodiversity Conservation Officer maria.satoa@mnre.gov.ws (+685 67200) 

 

CI: 

• Danita Strickland, Marine Program Manager dstrickland@conservation.org 

• Esmay Tanielu, Project Coordinator etanielu@conservation.org  (+685 21593)

 

IUCN:

• Mulipola Atonio P., MSP Project Coordinator atonio.mulipola@ext.iucn.org or atonio.mulipola@mnre.gov.ws (+685 67200 ext. 239)