Two-Day Conference To Highlight CTI-CFF Achievement In Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA, June 10 (Bernama) -- The conference on the achievements of the Coral Tiangle Initiatives on Coral Reefs Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Programme in Malaysia, Monday, would highlight the achievements of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) programmes in the country through the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD). The two-day conference would also feature reports from various stakeholders to assist NOD, under the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation, to coordinate activities under the National Plan of Action and Coral Triangle Support Programme. Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Dr Ewon Ebin expressed hope that the conference would also provide a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the establishment of a sustainable-financing scheme to ensure that activities under the National Plan of Action could be implemented sustainably. He said it was important to communicate to decision makers, the highlights of research results, new interdisciplinary approaches, tools, and insights that offered hope to recover the bounty and beauty of the ocean and the benefits they provided to people. "It is also important to emphasise that holistic approaches are crucial for a sustainable roadmap for the future of Marine Scientific Research and Marine Strategy for our country," he said in his opening remarks. His speech was read by the Ministry's Secretary-General, Dr Rosli Mohamed. The CTI-CFF, a multilateral partnership of the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands, was developed in 2007 as the nations recognised the need to safeguard the region's marine and coastal resources. Under the initiatives, the countries would work together to address poverty reduction through economic development, food security, sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities and biodiversity conservation; and to address critical threats to coastal and marine resources in one of the most biologically diverse and ecologically rich regions on earth. Malaysia was elected as the Chairman of the Coral Triangle Initiative Council of Ministers (CTI-COM) for a two-year term, effective November 2011. -- BERNAMA