Enviro Bulletin - Quarter 1, 2021

Enviro BULLETIN The Quarterly newsletter of the Tonga Dept. of Environment

Vol 6. Issue 17 Quarter 1, 2021

www.environment.gov.to

FB: Environment Tonga

March 2021

Members of the Tonga Ocean 7 technical working group meeting in February at the Lands and Survey office

Ocean 7 work to finalise Ocean Plan

Nuku’alofa (EB): Work on the Tonga Ocean Management Plan has not stopped, with six years of work coming to an end soon.

Meetings in February and March focused on finer parts of the draft, including the maps of different areas that are now earmarked as Marine Protected Areas (MPAS), Special Management Areas (SMAs) and other use allocated zones.

In February the Ocean 7 sub technical working group met at the Fisheries Head office in Sopu to finalise the Narratives for the Tonga Ocean Plan Maps.

Chaired by the Ministry of MEIDECC’s Chief Executive Officer Paula Ma’u the meeting included the CEO’s from the Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Lands plus reps from the different government departments that make up the committee.

The maps are critical for the different islands in the Kingdom as they indicate what areas are being dedicated to what actitivies.

On February 25 the technical working group met again at the Lands and Survey conference room under the chairmanship of Fisheries CEO Dr February 25, 2021 MSP meet discuss Ocean Plan Continuing the work of finalising the Tonga Ocean Plan today were members of the Tonga Ocean 7 technical working group.

Chaired by Fisheries Chief Executive Officer Dr Tu’ikologahau Halafihi, the meeting also included Hon Frederica Tuita Filipe, who represented the Ministry of Foeign Affairs.

Environment Department director Mrs Atelaite Lupe Matoto and her MSP team are facilitated the meeting.

IUCN and Vepa Vava’u were also included, with Karen

Inside This Issue

Turtle rescue and Greens - Page 2

Media visit boost work - Page 3

Stone flying in from Neiafu to be at the meeting at the Ministry of Lands conference room.

Focus was on finalizing some of the details that needed to be looked at before the team made presentation to the Ocean 7 committee again in April.

The plan is to have the Tonga Ocean Plan taken to Cabinet this year and that to be gazette as the legislation to help manage Tonga’s oceans and its resources.

Big malo aupito to all the funders who have made the work possible in the last six years.

That includes the Ministry of Environment of the Government of Italy, the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Waitt Institute and VEPA Vava’u.

The Ocean 7 committee meeting at the Fisheries office in February to discuss the Ocean Plan maps

Environment Week comps - Page 4

Inform Project training - Page 5

Waste Survey - Page 6

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Turtles rescue....The Department of Environment was noti-

fied in January and February about turtles that were found to be dying or struggling to survive at a small pool that had been turned into a ‘turtle pool’ at Fangaloto. The pool had become a rehabilitation place for turtles that were either brought by local fishermen who catch them out at sea. They are left to rehabilitate themselves in the pool efore they are taken to be released back to the ocean.

Environmet staff attended to the request for assistance from those who were looking after the pool and turtles that were caught were taken to the Fisheries Department before they were released back to the sea. Environment staff Brian Fusimalohi (above) tests water samples at the side to determine what could have ben the problem there. High levels of fresh water was recorded with a lot of rubbish dumped in the pool. Photos: Enviro News

No Pelesitiki Campaign go natural

The ‘No Pelesitiki Campaign’ here in Nuku’alofa has been introducing ‘natural answers’ to help in the clean-up campaigns that they hold monthly in Tongatapu.

Seen here is Hua Latu, the superwoman and assistant Town officer from Siesia, who, with her community members, made all the green baskets for the rubbish pick up for Saturday, March 13.

That was to mark World Consumers Day led by the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development together with the No Pelesitiki campaign.

The team helped picked up rubbish from Sopu area to Popua . Photo: No Pelesitiki Campaign.

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Matangi Tonga visits Popua Nursery

Nuku’alofa - Media is a crtiical partner in the work done by the Department of Environment.

The Terrestrial Team hosted Elenoar Gee of Matangi Tonga t the Popua Mangrove Nursery late January.

Elenoar was interested to find out the work being done at the nursery so that she could share that with the people of Tonga and also across the globe.

She was impressed with the work done by the department and partner, the FAO ILAM R2R project.

Terrestrial team leader Hoifua Aholahi said mangroves play a key role in the conservation of our waterfronts and natural resources such as fish, crabs and seashells.

“And we need everyone to understand the importance of mangroves and help in managing and conserving them,” he said..

“This morning’s visit is part of our media work to help inform our people about the work that is being done and the importance of having everyone join in.”

(Photos - top: Elenoar Gee with the Terrestrial Team members at the old Nursery and (bottom) finding out about mangroves at the new site, from Petelo Otoota Tooa (left) and Hoifua Aholahi. Photo: EB)

Team move on despite nursery damage

Nuku-alofa - Despite damage caused by some irresponsible people on the new Popua Mangroves Nursery, the Terrestrial team members are continuing with the work on the site. Damage was seen on the nettings around the nursery in February but the team has continued on with breeding young mangrove seedlings as part of the work program they have. The nursery is being used to store young seedlings that will then be used in replanting programs at indetitied sites around Tongatapu. Photos: Enviro News

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Fanga’uta committee discuss grants, new bridge

Nuku’alofa - Members of the Faga’uta Community Management Committee met for the first time this year on March 17 at the Ministry of Environment (MEIDECC) conference room in Nuku’alofa.

The meeting disucssed isues of concern raised by the town officers from the 26 communities around the lagoon.

Discussions included the Grant available for local communities, which can be can be accessed through the Civil Society Forum of Tonga.

The current round of grant call is open until May, with funding coming from the United Nations De-velopment Programme.

All communities who are registered as members of the Forum or NGOs in Tonga can access the grant.

Presentation opened with an update on the proposed Fanga’uta Bridge, that is planned to run from Umusi in Anana to Folaha, across the lagoon.

Town officers from the different communities attended the meeting, chaired by Manase Vaoahi of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Also discussed was the Fanga’uta Day, planned for June 4 and to be held at the Havelu Eco Park.

The Fanga’uta CMC meets once every quarter.

Town officers and presenters at the Fanga’uta CMC meeting on March 17. Photo: EB

Inform Project share data expertise Nuku’alofa – The Director, management and staff of the Environment Department here in Nuku’alofa went through a training on Indicator Reporting Tool on Thursday, February 25.

This was conducted by the Tonga Inform Project consultant, Mr Siosiua Latu.

Director Mrs Atelaite Lupe Matoto opened the training with comments and said that the training would help management and staff on understanding how better to report on data they have.

“This training is important

for all of us, especially in reporting and reporting effectively,” she said.

Mr Latu said the Inform Project aims to help develop better reporting systems so that data are “factual, correct and can be used effectively”.

“The project has set up the system for us to be able to use and access, making our work

easier and efficient,” he said.

“At the same time this will help us report correctly so that what we are giving out is correct and factual.”

Close to 20 staff attended the training, which was held at the Department of Environment office.

The project aims to hold more training this year.

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Waste survey...With funding from the World Bank, the Department of Environment’s Waste Division and the Waste

Management Authority team joined hands to carry out the waste curvey in Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u. Led by Director Mrs Atelaite Lupe Matoto, the teams went all out to ensure that process was thorough and completed. Reports would indicate what type of waste we have without Tonga’s households and where they do end up. Interesting work indeed.

Photos: Enviro News

Participants at the Nagoya Protocol meeting in early March and CEO Paula Ma’u expressing a point at the meeting. Photo: Enviro News

CEO says people should know the terms and what they mean

Nuku’alofa - MEIDECC Chief Executive Officer Paula Ma’u hit the nail on the head n March 3, while speaking at the Nagoya Protocol workshop in Nuku’alofa.

Translating technical language to layman”s term must be the focus so people can understand and know what is being discussed and what terms means.

Great challenge for all government and stakeholders...to ensure that their message is understood and grasped by the people.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. It entered into force on 12 October 2014.

Tonga is signatory to the Protocol and the Ministry of MEIDEC, through the Department of Environment, is the lead locally in Tonga.

Mr Ma’u told the participants that for anything that Government does or signs up with it was important that people understood.

He urged the team looking after the Nagoya Protocol to ensure that local translations are done for the people.

Tonga is working on ensuring that it meets its obligations to the Protocol.

SPREP in Samoa continues to offer advise on Tonga’s work in meeting the Protocol and Mr Ma’u said that it was great to see the commitment being followed up, especially at a time when there are other crisis happening.

This newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Department of Environment, TONGA Contact Information: Ms Atelaite Lupe Matoto Department of Environment Vuna Road, Nuku’alofa Ph: 25050 Facebook: Enviroment Tonga