CTI-CFF Sets Roadmap for Seascapes Working Group

The CTI-CFF held its first Seascape Working Group Meeting in Sanur, Indonesia on April 16-17, 2013 to develop a roadmap of activities and review existing seascape and other large scale marine planning work underway in the Coral Triangle. During the meeting, working group members from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste committed to move forward in implementing their respective programs in support for the CTI Regional Plan of Action Goal to ensure that priority seascapes are designated and effectively managed. The working group members agreed to focus on capacity-building and sustainable financing efforts and to ensure that activities well coordinated and are reported in the next CTI-CFFSenior Officials meeting later this year.

 “We have finalized our working group term of reference including the work-plan which reflect the strong commitment of CT6 countries to work together on strengthening the Seascape working group”, said Dr. Subandono Diposaptono, the working group chair said. “This will give direction on how we move forward to be able to synergize our activities with the other CTI working groups.”

The working group meeting was hosted by the Indonesia CTI National Coordinating Committee (NCC) in collaboration with the Government of Australia, Conservation International and CTI-CFF Interim-Regional Secretariat. The working group’s term of reference also builds on the CTI Seascapes Guidebook developed by CTI partner Conservation International as well as technical work on Seascapes initiated by The Nature Conservancy and WWF.