The Climate Change Division (CCD) of the Office of the Prime Minister in its capacity as the Secretariat of the National Ocean Policy Steering Committee (NOPSC) hosted its 10^th steering committee meeting to highlight inter alia, the implementation of Fiji’s National Ocean Policy (NOP) on Friday 26 May.

The meeting provided an update on the progress of activities under the NOP as well as a breakdown of activities from the partnership that Fiji established with the Blue Prosperity Foundation in 2021 (the partnership was renewed in 2023 by the Hon. Prime Minister of Fiji) through a 5-year work program to support the implementation of Fiji’s NOP.

It was attended by members of the NOPSC from Government ministries that included representatives from the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Public Works and Meteorological Services & Transport, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Environment. Observers from NGOs, CSOs and academic institutions were also in attendance.

The Blue Prosperity Fiji (BPF) team provided updates on their work that is to help support, implement and operationalize certain elements of Fiji’s National Ocean Policy. These included their ocean use survey whereby information obtained would help to inform decision making processes around marine spatial planning, their ocean expedition which was officially launched on May 15, 2023 as well as other general updates with communications and legal aspects.

SPC also delivered a short presentation that complements the work of the Fiji Government and the steering committee. One main point highlighted was the Pacific Solution Integrated Ocean Management Program that started in early February of this year with its main purpose of supporting countries with national ocean policies and implementing them.