Koror, Palau— The Minister of MAFE convened the 2nd Donors Coordination Meeting on Aug. 10, 2023, with the goal of converging support for key elements of Palau’s Blue Prosperity Plan.
The meeting was held at the Bureau of Fisheries Office in Koror. It was chaired by Hon. Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment. With him and representing their respective nations were H.E. Richelle Turner, Australian Ambassador; H.E. Jessica Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan); H.E. Hiroyuki Orikasa, Ambassador of Japan; Mr. Andrew McLean, CDA U.S. Embassy, Palau; Junki Mori, JICA, Palau Office; Paula Miller, USAID Country Coordinator, Palau; and Ms. Nina Doetinchem, Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank.
Fish swim among the coral in Palau’s waters. Photo courtesy MHRCTD.
Managing our ocean to achieve long-term sustainability while also ensuring enduring benefits for Palauan people in the face of climate change and illegal activities, including Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing (IUU), is becoming increasingly complex and will require a more integrated and adaptive management approach.
Minister Victor expressed his gratitude for the partners who are willing to come to the table to discuss ways to more strategically deploy assistance that aligns with key priorities that have been identified by Palau, including maintaining an international rules-based approach to reducing illegal activities in our waters.
“As we address these challenges on multiple fronts, we appreciate our partners who are willing to work together alongside Palau as we adapt, learn, and progress towards our vision of 100% Ocean Management — Protect Palau’s Ocean, Provide for Our People,” stated Minister Victor.
An initial meeting was held in May 2023. Among the items discussed were priority infrastructure projects to support offshore fisheries and aquaculture development and the Marine Spatial Planning process that MAFE is currently conducting. The next coordination meeting is planned for October 2023.