Pacific Island Countries prepare for South Korea talks on climate change and fisheries

Hot on the heels of the 46th Pacific Island Forum, held in Port Moresby last month, Forum Island Countries are preparing to advance important regional priorities relating to climate change and fisheries with the Republic of Korea (South Korea) at their annual Senior Officials Meeting on 6 October, 2015 in Seoul. South Korea has been a Post-Forum Dialogue partner to the region since 1995 and is a major advocate for climate change mitigation efforts. As a global leader for pursuing low carbon economies and host to the Green Climate Fund Secretariat, an important source of climate finance for Forum countries, South Korea is a significant ally for the Pacific region in the lead up to COP 21 in Paris in December 2015. A distant water fishing nation in the Pacific, and member of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, South Korea is well-placed to work with the region in efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries, an area designated as fundamental to the Pacific’s sustainable economic future by Forum Leaders in September this year. Forum Island Countries will be seeking to facilitate close linkages between regional fisheries institutions and South Korea on a regional fisheries surveillance initiative to address illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries, as well as to control marine pollution. For further information, please contact media@forumsec.org. Information about the Republic of Korea’s relations with the Pacific region can be found at: https://www.forumsec.org/pages.cfm/strategic-partnerships-coordination/post-forum-dialogue/republic-of-korea.html