IOI-Pacific Islands Background

 

Professor Graham Robin South is a lifetime member of the International Ocean Institute (IOI) and the Founding Professor of the University of the South Pacific's Marine Studies Programme. He was instrumental in establishing the Marine Affairs Program (MAP) which is now part of the School of Marine Studies.

 

It was in 1983 that IOI offered the first marine resource management course at USP, now a part of the Marine Studies Courses offered at the University.

 

The IOI - Pacific Islands Operational Centre was one of the original 4 centres that were opened when the decision was made to boost training and capacity building at regional and national levels. IOI - Pacific Islands has organized and funded over 36 training courses within the Pacific Islands. The majority of these were conducted at USP and participants came from all over the Pacific Islands and from abroad.

 

                   Program Areas

 

IOI - Pacific Islands fulfils its mission through 5 main program areas:

Marine awareness

Marine conservation

Training

Information dissemination

Research and consultancy

 

Marine Awareness

IOI - Pacific offers marine awareness programs. Projects focus on the raising of marine awareness in the USP member countries. All sectors of society are impacted by this program and activities include:

• Advocacy and lobbying
• Seminars and Conferences
• Village-level workshops
• Initiation of volunteer marine awareness program for students to work in their community
• Joint programs with IOI - Pacific Island partners in the development of marine awareness products for use in school programs, with community groups (includes women, youths and disadvantaged groups) and with the media

 

Marine Conservation

This program focuses on marine conservation projects at the village or community level. Included are development of training programs for conservation area managers, development of appropriate monitoring programs for conservation areas and conducting of surveys for resource owners wishing to establish marine reserves. IOI - Pacific Islands works with current and new partners in this focal area.

 

Training

IOI - Pacific Islands has courses developed under CC: TRAIN and TRAIN-SEA-COAST. IOI-PI has also provided training in the Law of the Sea, Leadership, Fisheries Management, Integrated Coastal Management and Post Harvest Fisheries.

 

IOI - PI training courses have resulted in the development of USP courses. In 2002, a course on Responsible Fisheries in the Pacific Islands was validated at USP, using the Train Sea Course methodology. 

 

Information dissemination

IOI - Pacific Islands provides information to USP and whoever requires information on marine resources use and management. The results of research conducted through IOI-Pacific Islandsare disseminated through publications, newsletters, websites and seminars.

 

Research and consultancies

IOI - Pacific Islands promotes research and consultancies as means of gathering new information and resources to enhance its work.

 

IOI - PI funded the Women in Fisheries Network activities in the Pacific Islands. Funding was through the Women and the Sea Program with support from the Ocean Science and Research Foundation.