International Oceans Experts Board met in Abu Dhabi
March 13th, 2019
On March 3rd and 4th , in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, some thirty experts on various ocean topics, including Mauricio Gálvez Larach, Fisheries Engineer and IFOP Division Chief, met to identify solutions to Oceans related problems. Then they participated in the World Oceans Summit organized by the multinational media company The Economist Group in the same city between March 5th and 7th .
The High Level Expert Board for a Sustainable Oceanic Economy is an initiative promoted by Norway Prime Minister, Mrs. Erna Solberg and the President of the Republic of Palau, Mr. Tommy Esang Remengesau, Jr., which voluntarily convened 12 Prime Ministers and Presidents, among them President Sebastián Piñera.
Participating in this panel are Australia, Chile, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau and Portugal, and their representation is done through members of respective Foreign Ministries, which in the case of Chile relies in Norway ambassador Mr. Waldemar Coutts, who was Environment and Ocean Affairs Division (DIMA) director and was in charge of the Our 2015 Ocean conference.
“The objective of this High Level Experts Board is to build up a new and shared understanding of the current and potential state of the oceans economy and ecology, and to generate a set of policies, governance, technology and investment solutions aimed at catalyzing a truly sustainable oceanic economy. The Board will issue several documents by 2020, including a synthesis report with recommendations; a summary scientific report; and, a set of articles on matters such as contamination by plastics; production of animal protein in the oceans; ocean energy and mineral sources; financing, insurance and subsidies for the oceans; governance of the oceans; maritime security; tourism, among others “. https://oceanpanel.org/index.html
Gálvez explained “Chile was invited to participate in this initiative, in my opinion, because of the good relations and fluid contact that our country has with Norway, but also because in the last 10 years we have been a world leader in the conservation of the oceans. through the creation of Marine Protected Areas that cover about 43% of our jurisdictional waters, and by the fierce combat that we have given to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (INRNR fishing).
My appointment as a member of the International Experts Group by our Foreign Ministry is a recognition to IFOP in the first place, as an institution that articulates the State’s advice on fisheries, aquaculture and marine conservation matters. Personally, it is a pride, but also a great responsibility, to participate in this group that is made up of renowned scientists from Australia, Norway, Japan, Portugal, Mexico, Denmark and the United States, among others. “