The Republic of Palau recently concluded the hosting of the 42nd meeting of the United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF), which took place from September 8-13, 2019.  The USCRTF was created to guide U.S. efforts to preserve coral reef ecosystems.

Members of the USCRTF include leadership from 12 Federal agencies, seven U.S. states, territories, and commonwealths, and three Freely Associated States. This is the second time Palau has hosted the meeting, the first being in 2005. Both 2005 and 2019 are the only times that the meeting has been held outside a U.S. State, Territory, or Commonwealth.

The highlight of the event was an official Business Meeting which took place at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center, on Thursday, September 12, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. opened the meeting with remarks that highlighted what Palau has been able to achieve while working with Task Force Members and discussed further challenges that need to be addressed moving forward.

Four panels gave presentations during the Business Meeting.  Topics discussed in the panels included the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), Protected Areas Network (PAN), and Micronesia Challenge (MC); Fisheries Issues and Management; Land Use Change and Watersheds; and Educational Programs and Capacity Building.

Professionals and experts from around Palau and Micronesia were able to showcase work being done in these areas and make suggestions for future partnerships and improvements.

The rest of the week consisted of committee meetings and workshops. Furthermore, site visits to various areas in Palau featured the country’s efforts in managing natural resources, demonstrating topics including watersheds and land use, fisheries, the PAN, the PNMS, and other local and regional activities.

Hosting the Task Force meetings was a great opportunity for Palau to highlight our local issues and success stories with US high level officials and managers from the US states, territories, and commonwealths.

With this increased understanding and awareness, Palau has strengthened its relationship with Task Force Members as we continue to work together to better support the management of our important coral reef resources. (PR)