Caring for the region’s biodiverse marine
resources can help address the “wide economic gap” among the 21
member-economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Environment
Secretary Ramon Paje said.
At the opening of the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Blue Economy Sunday, Paje recognized the different stages of economic development among the 21 APEC members.
"We envision a regional cooperation to narrow the gap in economic development of our economies while sustaining growth with equity.
Thus, there is a need for us to cooperate and address this wide economic gap," he said. To do this, Paje placed special focus on achieving food security in the area of the Asia Pacific region's marine resources.
He said the region has two-thirds of the world’s capture fishery production and 80 percent of its aquaculture production.
"To sustain and improve the productivity of our oceans, we need to enhance the biodiversity of coastal and marine ecosystems," he added.
"Healthy ecosystems support higher fishery production and provide better ecological services such as regulation of climate and disaster risk reduction."
Having a "healthy marine and coastal systems" would result in the region's own brand of blue economy, or the rich and diverse marine resources.
A healthy marine ecological system necessitates that the region advances sustainable management and conservation of ocean and coastal resources and ecosystems "in order to foster economic growth," the secretary said.
The high policy dialogue is highly significant because it is an opportunity for APEC economies to discuss "concrete and feasible actions to advance sustainable management and conservation of our coastal ecosystems and habitats."
The focus of the dialogue, which will happen from October 4 to 6, is on one of the four priority themes of the Philippines for this year's meetings: "Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities."
Paje said the focus would lead the economies to the three other priorities: enhance regional economic agenda; foster small medium enterprises’ (SMEs) participation in regional and global markets; and support and invest in human resources.
"We believe that these initiatives will contribute to making the theme of APEC Philippines 2015, 'Building inclusive economies, building a better world,' a reality. (PNA/PCOO News Release)
At the opening of the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Blue Economy Sunday, Paje recognized the different stages of economic development among the 21 APEC members.
"We envision a regional cooperation to narrow the gap in economic development of our economies while sustaining growth with equity.
Thus, there is a need for us to cooperate and address this wide economic gap," he said. To do this, Paje placed special focus on achieving food security in the area of the Asia Pacific region's marine resources.
He said the region has two-thirds of the world’s capture fishery production and 80 percent of its aquaculture production.
"To sustain and improve the productivity of our oceans, we need to enhance the biodiversity of coastal and marine ecosystems," he added.
"Healthy ecosystems support higher fishery production and provide better ecological services such as regulation of climate and disaster risk reduction."
Having a "healthy marine and coastal systems" would result in the region's own brand of blue economy, or the rich and diverse marine resources.
A healthy marine ecological system necessitates that the region advances sustainable management and conservation of ocean and coastal resources and ecosystems "in order to foster economic growth," the secretary said.
The high policy dialogue is highly significant because it is an opportunity for APEC economies to discuss "concrete and feasible actions to advance sustainable management and conservation of our coastal ecosystems and habitats."
The focus of the dialogue, which will happen from October 4 to 6, is on one of the four priority themes of the Philippines for this year's meetings: "Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities."
Paje said the focus would lead the economies to the three other priorities: enhance regional economic agenda; foster small medium enterprises’ (SMEs) participation in regional and global markets; and support and invest in human resources.
"We believe that these initiatives will contribute to making the theme of APEC Philippines 2015, 'Building inclusive economies, building a better world,' a reality. (PNA/PCOO News Release)
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