Australia and the South Pacific: Implementing the UNCED oceans agenda

Marine Policy

Volumn 20, Issue 1, 1996, Pages 47-62

  Bergin, Anthony ^a   Michaelis, Frances B ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES   (Australia)

^b Sen Environ Recr Commun A   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AGENDA 21; AID; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; FISHERIES MANAGEMENT; IMPLEMENTATION; INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; MARINE MANAGEMENT; MARINE RESOURCES; POLICY IMPLEMENTATION; UNCED;

AUSTRALIA; PACIFIC, (SOUTH);

EID: 0029731319     PISSN: 0308597X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/0308-597X(95)00023-Y     Document Type: Article

References (84)

1. The population of the South Pacific in 1990 was 6.2 million, with almost two thirds of this in PNG.
2. S Henningham and S Woodman, 'An Achilles Heel? Australian and New Zealand Capabilities for Pacific Island Contingencies', Pacific Review, Vol 6, No 2, 1993, pp 127-143.
3. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) 1993, 1991-1995 Action Plan for Managing the Environment of the South Pacific Region. G Kelleher and C Bleakley, Report to World Bank, Mimeo, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, 1994.
4. See Environment and Development - a Pacific Island Perspective, Asian Development Bank, Manila, 1992. J Morrison, 'Coastal and Maritime Zone Planning and Management Relationships between Australia and the South-West Pacific', Paper presented at SEAPOL/Centre for Maritime Policy meeting on Coastal and Maritime Zone Planning and Management, Transnational Legal Considerations, Centre of Maritime Policy, University of Wollongong, 9-10 September 1994. The primary causes of the problems are disposal of domestic and non-domestic waste, increased sedimentation due to land use changes, coastal development activities, over-exploitation of living coastal and marine resources and natural disasters.
5. See Environment and Development - a Pacific Island Perspective, Asian Development Bank, Manila, 1992. J Morrison, 'Coastal and Maritime Zone Planning and Management Relationships between Australia and the South-West Pacific', Paper presented at SEAPOL/Centre for Maritime Policy meeting on Coastal and Maritime Zone Planning and Management, Transnational Legal Considerations, Centre of Maritime Policy, University of Wollongong, 9-10 September 1994. The primary causes of the problems are disposal of domestic and non-domestic waste, increased sedimentation due to land use changes, coastal development activities, over-exploitation of living coastal and marine resources and natural disasters.
6. The need for Australia to play a significant role in the region on sustainable development of marine areas was clearly recognised in the Expert Group Meeting for Asia/Pacific, which met before the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States in April/May 1994. The Expert Group Meeting was hosted by Australia. See South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) 1993, Expert Group Meeting. Input to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; 6-7 May 1993, Australian National University, Canberra.
7. Morrison, op cit, Ref 4. The workshops were initially organised by Marine Pollution Division of the Australian Department of Transport and Communications.
8. Ibid.
9. Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, Annual Report 1992/93, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1993.
10. Ian J Dight and William Gladstone, Torres Strait Baseline Study: Pilot Study Final Report June 1993, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Research Publication 29, Townsville, 1993.
11. Department of Industry, Science and Technology, Australia France Arrangement for Cooperation in Marine Science and Technology, Mimeo, unpublished, 1994.
12. Following the Resource Assessment Commission Coastal Inquiry in 1993, negotiations are underway with the State, Northern Territory and local governments on development of a cooperative coastal action for Australia. National Agreement on coastal zone management issues is expected to have a major positive impact on the marine environment. Some of the elements will include cross-sectoral coordination, improved planning, community awareness, marine pollution data and information needs, capacity building and education and professional development. G Morvell, Towards a Comprehensive Oceans Policy - Environmental Issues', Maritime Studies, 1994. A major Australian marine initiative is the production of a State of the Marine Environment Report (SOMER), which was commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories. Released in February 1995, it provides an independent review of Australia's marine environment by 100 scientific experts. It is the first comprehensive national description and assessment of Australia's marine environment, resources and the impacts of human activities. State of the Marine Environment reports have been undertaken in the South Pacific by SPREP in 1988-1990, so Australia in fact somewhat lags behind the PICs here. See J E Brodie et al, Review of the State of the Marine Environment: South Pacific Regional Report, Regional Seas Reports and Studies No 127, UNEP, Nairobi, 1990.
13. Following the Resource Assessment Commission Coastal Inquiry in 1993, negotiations are underway with the State, Northern Territory and local governments on development of a cooperative coastal action for Australia. National Agreement on coastal zone management issues is expected to have a major positive impact on the marine environment. Some of the elements will include cross-sectoral coordination, improved planning, community awareness, marine pollution data and information needs, capacity building and education and professional development. G Morvell, Towards a Comprehensive Oceans Policy - Environmental Issues', Maritime Studies, 1994. A major Australian marine initiative is the production of a State of the Marine Environment Report (SOMER), which was commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories. Released in February 1995, it provides an independent review of Australia's marine environment by 100 scientific experts. It is the first comprehensive national description and assessment of Australia's marine environment, resources and the impacts of human activities. State of the Marine Environment reports have been undertaken in the South Pacific by SPREP in 1988-1990, so Australia in fact somewhat lags behind the PICs here. See J E Brodie et al, Review of the State of the Marine Environment: South Pacific Regional Report, Regional Seas Reports and Studies No 127, UNEP, Nairobi, 1990.
14. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Practical Approaches to Coastal Zone Management Issues: Australia's Experience, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1994.
15. Australian Council for International Agricultural Research, Proceedings of the Tuna Baitfish Workshop held in Nadi in August 1993. ACIAR Proceedings 52, in press.
16. G Kelleher and C Bleakley, Report to World Bank Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Mimeo, 1994. Early in 1994 GBRMPA ran workshops on coastal zone management issues and climate change in Western Samoa, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea. It also worked in 1993 on a project in Tonga on marine environmental management as part of Tonga's national tourism plan. Personal communication, J Muldoon, GBRMPA, Canberra, August 1994
17. S Spring, 'Development of the South Pacific Regional Marine Turtle Conservation and Management Program', in Proceedings of the Australian Marine Turtle Conservation Workshop, 1990, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, 1992, pp 175-185.
18. Personal communication, V Thurairaja, AIDAB, Canberra, September 1994.
19. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, op cit, Ref 12.
20. In February 1990, Australia introduced a set of voluntary ballast water guidelines for ships entering Australian ports from overseas. The guidelines were subsequently used as the basis for voluntary international guidelines developed by the IMO. Approaches outlined in these guidelines include non-release of ballast water from ships, ballast water exchange and sediment removal at sea, and use of shore-based treatment facilities. If correctly implemented, the guidelines would provide a means of minimising, but not eliminating, the risk of introduction of exotic marine species and organisms such as cholera. A draft Australian Ballast Water Management Strategy was released in early December 1994 by the Commonwealth Government. It establishes the Australian Ballast Water Advisory Council.
21. Australia is a party to the protocol on pollution emergencies but not the dumping protocol. Recent Commonwealth legislative changes will shortly see Australia become a party to the SPREP dumping protocol.
22. The IWC voted to establish the sanctuary on 26 May 1994. The area is in the Southern Ocean south of latitude 40° South. A sector around the Latin American continent where the boundary departs southwards from 40° South follows the boundary of the Convention for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. The sanctuary prohibits commercial whaling and reduces any prospect of the resumption of commercial whaling in the Southern Hemisphere. See 'Ministers welcome Southern Ocean whale sanctuary', Environment, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, August 1994, p 3.
23. Communique, South Pacific Forum, 31 July-2 August 1994, Brisbane, Australia.
24. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Whale-watching Guidelines, ANPWS, Canberra, 1984.
25. This was introduced in the revised 1994-1995 NGOEI guidelines. Personal communication, V Thurairaja, AIDAB, Canberra, September 1994.
26. A Bergin, 'Political and Legal Control Over Marine Living Resources: Recent Developments in South Pacific Distant Water Fishing', International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, Vol 9, No 3, 1994, pp 289-309.
27. B Miller, 'Combating Driftnet Fishing in the South Pacific', in J Crawford and D Rothwell, eds, The Law of the Sea in the Asian Pacific Region, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, 1994, pp 155-170.
28. For background see Charles Higginson, 'The UN Conference on High Seas Fishing', Review of European Community & International Environmental Law, Vol 2, No 3, 1993, pp 237-243.
29. Michael Lodge, 'Minimum Terms and Conditions of Access', Marine Policy, Vol 16, No 3, 1992, pp 277-303.
30. Michael Lodge, 'New Approaches to Fisheries Enforcement', Review of European Community & International Environmental Law, Vol 2, No 3, 1993, pp 277-284. In-port transhipment activities are estimated to have added around US$3 million to the regional economy in the latter half of 1993. A further effect of the ban was a decrease in purse seine catches (especially for the Korean and Taiwanese fleets which routinely transhipped) and an almost 50% rise in skipjack prices. In-port transhipment has also improved monitoring and surveillance of the foreign purse seine fleets. See 'South Pacific Nations Meet in Honiara', Australian Fisheries, Vol 53, No 7, July 1994, p 24.
31. Michael Lodge, 'New Approaches to Fisheries Enforcement', Review of European Community & International Environmental Law, Vol 2, No 3, 1993, pp 277- 284. In-port transhipment activities are estimated to have added around US$3 million to the regional economy in the latter half of 1993. A further effect of the ban was a decrease in purse seine catches (especially for the Korean and Taiwanese fleets which routinely transhipped) and an almost 50% rise in skipjack prices. In-port transhipment has also improved monitoring and surveillance of the foreign purse seine fleets. See 'South Pacific Nations Meet in Honiara', Australian Fisheries, Vol 53, No 7, July 1994, p 24.
32. A Bergin and M Haward, 'Australia's Approach to High Seas Fishing', International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 1994, pp 349-367.
33. Neroni Slade, HE Ambassador Tuiloma. Draft Opening Statement for FFA Member Countries at the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, 14 March 1994, New York.
34. See generally Bergin and Haward, op cit, Ref 29.
35. See for example Statement of 31 March 1994 by H E Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations on behalf of Member Countries of the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency to the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, New York. At the South Pacific Forum meeting in 1994 the Forum 'urged all member countries to continue to play an active role in the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Species': see Communique Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum, 31 July-2 August 1994.
36. Gerry Green, 'Tuna industry development in the South Pacific: a coordinated approach', Development Bulletin, Vol 31, July 1994, pp 39-41.
37. Lodge, op cit, Ref 28.
38. Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum Communique, 31 July-2 August 1994.
39. Gordon Bilney, Australia's Development Cooperation Program 1994-1995 (Circulated by the Honourable Gordon Bilney, MP, Minister for Development Cooperation and Pacific Island Affairs), Budget Related Paper No 2, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1994.
40. The PNA group are the 'movers and shakers' in FFA. While details of individual PIC receipts from access fees are confidential, the main recipients are PNA members FSM, Kiribati and PNG. Australia has attended PNA meetings as an observer and is normally active in discussions. There may be value in Australia acceding at some future time to the Nauru Agreement, which is provided for in the Agreement. This can only occur with the concurrence of the parties to the Agreement.
41. Gordon Bilney, 'Australia's relations with the South Pacific: challenge and change', Paper delivered to Foreign Correspondents' Lunch, Sydney, 15 June 1994. See also A Kabua, 'Managing Our Resources Fishery Development and Industry', Speech given at Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum, 31 July-2 August 1994, Brisbane.
42. Gordon Bilney, 'Australia's relations with the South Pacific: challenge and change', Paper delivered to Foreign Correspondents' Lunch, Sydney, 15 June 1994. See also A Kabua, 'Managing Our Resources Fishery Development and Industry', Speech given at Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum, 31 July-2 August 1994, Brisbane.
43. An arrangement signed between an agency of the Taiwan government and the FFA, acting on behalf of its members, would not imply any recognition of Taiwan. Only four PICs recognise Taiwan. There are reasonable prospects of achieving a politically acceptable arrangement between the PICs and Taiwan in the foreseeable future.
44. A Bergin, 'New Fishing Agreements Concluded in the South Pacific', Ocean and Coastal Management, Vol 19, No 3, 1993, pp 299-304. The US has now become the most responsible operator in the region and sets the benchmark for compliance and payment of reasonable access fees.
45. See, generally, A Bergin and M Haward, The Last Jewel in a Disintegrating Crown: the Case of Japanese Distant Water Tuna Fisheries', Ocean Development and International Law, Vol 25, 1994, pp 187-215.
46. Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum Communique, 31 July-2 August 1994. Forum members agreed at a leaders' retreat at the Forum meeting in Brisbane on 1 August 1994 that no member should be worse off under any new multilateral arrangement. This approach could be implemented through a 'guaranteed minimum' arrangement whereby current returns under bilateral agreements could be guaranteed under any new multilateral arrangement. See 'Statement from Leaders' Retreat', Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum, Brisbane, 1 August 1994.
47. Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum Communique, 31 July-2 August 1994. Forum members agreed at a leaders' retreat at the Forum meeting in Brisbane on 1 August 1994 that no member should be worse off under any new multilateral arrangement. This approach could be implemented through a 'guaranteed minimum' arrangement whereby current returns under bilateral agreements could be guaranteed under any new multilateral arrangement. See 'Statement from Leaders' Retreat', Twenty-fifth South Pacific Forum, Brisbane, 1 August 1994.
48. The Australian Prime Minister accused Japan and South Korea (number one and number two in terms of Australia's trading partners) of exploiting small island nations in the South Pacific through illegal fishing activities. He stated that: 'I think that it is important for wealthy nations like Japan and South Korea to understand that they can't secure valuable resources at sub-economic rates of return. What the existing arrangements have shown is that there has been considerable exploitation of Pacific Island countries, under-reporting of fishing catches and insufficient monitoring'. 'PM accuses Japan, South Korea of exploiting Pacific neighbours', The Australian, 2 August 1994. The criticism of South Korea is fair, but not Japan. Japan's record on reporting is quite good as the Japanese government takes a more active role in policing its own fleets. The South Pacific Commission accepts that Japanese log books are probably close to accurate. FFA states that Japan under-reports (as defined as the percentage of the catch not recorded on log sheets from fishery efforts which is recorded) by 15%. Korea's figure is 28% and Taiwan's 79%. See FFA, Report 92/88, Forum Fisheries Agency, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 1992.
49. 'Keating speaks for Islands', The Canberra Times, 7 September 1994.
50. A Bergin, The Pacific Patrol Boat Project: A Case Study of Australian Defence Cooperation, Australian Foreign Policy Papers, Australian Foreign Policy Publications, Department of International Relations, Australian National University, 1994.
51. Green, op cit. Ref 33.
52. Ibid, pp 39-41.
53. It seems likely that the preferential access system will take the form of a point scoring system. A high score would indicate a high degree of domestic benefit and/or involvement and would therefore be treated more favourably in terms of gaining access to PNA waters. It is not clear whether Australia as a non-PNA member and a developed country will fit into the scoring system as it is being planned. See 'South Pacific nations meet in Honiara', Australian Fisheries, Vol 53, No 7, July 1994, p 24.
54. B A Smith, 'Report on ACIAR supported fisheries research activities in Pacific Island Countries', Development Bulletin, Vol 31, July 1994, pp 89-91. The Forum Declaration from the 1994 Forum meeting noted the importance for the region's fishing industry of fish farming, acquaculture and the replenishment of the fish stocks.
55. These issues are fully discussed by South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), 'Natural and environmental disaster preparedness', Expert Group Meeting, Input to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, 6-7 May 1993, Australian National University, Canberra, 1993.
56. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) 'Climate change and sea level rise', Expert Group Meeting, Input to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; 6-7 May 1993, Australian National University, Canberra, 1993.
57. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, op cit, Ref 12.
58. Ibid.
59. AIDAB, Multicountry and Regional Program Summary, South Pacific and Training Branch, December 1993.
60. This calls on UN agencies and organisations to develop a centralised system to provide information on legislation and advice on implementation of legal agreements on marine environment and development issues.
61. Ben Boer, Future Directions for the Implementation of the Review of Environmental Law in the Cook Islands, FSM, Tonga, Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands, Australian Centre for Environmental Law, University of Sydney, 1993.
62. AIDAB, Multicountry and Regional Program Summary, South Pacific and Training Branch, December 1993.
63. Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, reprinted in 28 ILM 657, 1989, entered into force 5 May 1992.
64. Lindsay Smith, 'Position on hazardous waste "misrepresented" ', Insight, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Vol 3, No 5, 1994, pp 7-8.
65. Such an arrangement is permitted under Art 11 of the Basel Convention. This allows for bilateral or multilateral arrangements to be registered with the Secretariat. A number of African countries have adopted a convention that bans the imports of hazardous wastes into Africa but permits trade in such wastes among themselves, subject to certain controls. This is the Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes Within Africa, reprinted 30 ILM 775 (1991) (not yet in force). The EC has also entered into an arrangement signed by 68 developing countries that in principle bans all movements of hazardous wastes from the Community to those countries, although exports may be allowed on a case-by-case basis if the importing country has appropriate disposal facilities. Fourth ACP/EC [Lomé] Convention, 15 December 1989, reprinted 29 ILM, 809 (1990).
66. Forum works on toxic waste ban', Fiji Times, 9 July 1994.
67. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste, IAEA Doc GC(34)/RES/530, 21 September 1990.
68. Australia has funded an environment officer within the Forum Secretariat. The officer is responsible for keeping governments informed of environmental issues and developments at the regional and global level.
69. Minutes of the South West Pacific Hydrographic Commission inaugural meeting, Sydney, 19-20 October 1993.
70. Australian Maritime College, 1994, unpublished data.
71. Gordon Bilney, 'Australia's relations with the South Pacific: challenge and change', Paper delivered to Foreign Correspondents' Lunch, Sydney, 15 June 1994.
72. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Expert Group Meeting. Input to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, 6-7 May 1993, Australian National University, Canberra, 1993. See also H E Wensley, Ambassador Penny, Round Table Briefing by the Chairman Preparatory Committee, Presentation to the Meeting of the Eminent Persons Group preparatory to the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, Barbados, 21-22 April 1994. 'Small Island Conference', World Chronicle (Media Division, Department of Public Information, United Nations), No. 545, recorded 10 March; and Statement for Australia delivered by the Ambassador for the Environment during Plenary Meeting of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Barbados, 27 April 1993.
73. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Expert Group Meeting. Input to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, 6-7 May 1993, Australian National University, Canberra, 1993. See also H E Wensley, Ambassador Penny, Round Table Briefing by the Chairman Preparatory Committee, Presentation to the Meeting of the Eminent Persons Group preparatory to the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, Barbados, 21-22 April 1994. 'Small Island Conference', World Chronicle (Media Division, Department of Public Information, United Nations), No. 545, recorded 10 March; and Statement for Australia delivered by the Ambassador for the Environment during Plenary Meeting of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Barbados, 27 April 1993.
74. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Expert Group Meeting. Input to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, 6-7 May 1993, Australian National University, Canberra, 1993. See also H E Wensley, Ambassador Penny, Round Table Briefing by the Chairman Preparatory Committee, Presentation to the Meeting of the Eminent Persons Group preparatory to the United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, Barbados, 21-22 April 1994. 'Small Island Conference', World Chronicle (Media Division, Department of Public Information, United Nations), No. 545, recorded 10 March; and Statement for Australia delivered by the Ambassador for the Environment during Plenary Meeting of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Barbados, 27 April 1993.
75. Ibid. On the conference see Charlotte de Fontaubert, 'United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States', Ocean and Coastal Management, Vol 24, 1994, pp 205-213.
76. Ibid. On the conference see Charlotte de Fontaubert, 'United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States', Ocean and Coastal Management, Vol 24, 1994, pp 205-213.
77. Bilney, op cit, Ref 36.
78. Bilney, op cit, Ref 66. See also text of Minister Bilney's speech delivered to the High-level Segment (5-6 May) of the UN Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Barbados, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra.
79. Bilney, op cit, Ref 36.
80. The Forum communiqué from the meeting held 31 July-2 August 1994 states: "The Forum decided to establish a regional consultative mechanism to coordinate and facilitate implementation of the Barbados Conference's outcomes as recommended in paragraph 132 of the Program of Action. Such a mechanism should consist of a support unit utilising the resources and services of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre (EPOC), and an advisory committee comprised of senior policy officials, SPREP, in consultation with EPOC and interested parties, should prepare a report on the modalities of the mechanism, for consideration at the 1994 SPREP annual meeting and subsequently by the Forum.' Paragraph 132 of the Program of Action states that: To facilitate the coordination and implementation of the action program a mechanism for consultation should be identified or devised, where appropriate, within each region. This would include: donors and recipients; relevant United Nations organizations, regional commissions and non-United Nations regional and sub-regional organizations and banks; appropriate arrangements for the participation of non-governmental organizations.' Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, advance unedited text, 4 May 1994.
81. Gordon Bilney, Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth in Australia's Development Cooperation Program, Ministerial Policy Paper and Fourth Annual Report to Parliament on Australia's Overseas Development Cooperation Program, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1993.
82. The 1994 South Pacific Forum meeting was convened in Brisbane, Australia, and had as its theme 'managing our resources'. This was the first time the Forum had a theme for its meeting. This was Australia's suggestion.
83. See Bilney, op cit, Ref 36. The minister has focused on the need for island states and donor countries to deal with a range of specific environmental problems including deforestation, coastal pollution and degradation, depletion of inshore fisheries and damage to coral reefs, inadequate watershed management, a shortage of clean drinking water and effective waste management facilities. High population growth rates are also a problem in the South Pacific. The region has in some cases the highest population growth rates in the world.
84. L Zann, ed, State of the Marine Environ ment Report, report prepared by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, Canberra, February 1995.