Addressing shipping related marine pollution in the Pacific Islands Region : discussion paper for PIROF

Abstract

"The Pacific islands maintain resource access rights and management responsibilities over 30 million square kilometres of ocean - equivalent to the combined land areas of Canada, China and the USA. The total population of the Pacific islands is only 6.7 million people, and only 2.6 million if the largely inland population of Papua New Guinea is excluded. There are at least 11 square kilometres of ocean for each and every Pacific Islander. Jurisdictionally, the sea is nearly 200 tijmes more significant to the average Pacific islander than it is to the average global citizen" (Adams et al 1995)