by Quinton Alomp – EM TV, Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea’s ocean is becoming vulnerable to threats of climate change and overfishing.
Both are threats associated together and Papua New Guinea is likely to experience its terrifying ordeal in the near future.
It is estimated that seas in the north of Papua New Guinea will suffer a great loss of coral bleaching and its fish species.
This was highlighted by a conservationist working with the Conservation Organisation in Milne Bay province, David Mitchell, during an environment outreach program organised by the Unted States Embassy yesterday at the National Library in Port Moresby.
Mr Mitchell said the Solomon and Bismarck Seas are likely to be affected by coral bleaching in the next 15 years.
This is because of high carbon concentration in the ocean, weakening the coral’s ability to absorb them.
The US State Department policy director for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Paul Reid, said people’s livelihood will be affected by climate change, rising sea levels and over-fishing.
He said one third of commercial fish are at the verge of collapse which will affect the entire food chain in future.
Mr Reid said the US President, Barrack Obama, announced at the G20 meeting in Brisbane, Australia a $3 billion funding for mitigating climate change worldwide.
US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Walter North, said the United States Government has taken steps to reduce carbon emissions as per the APEC Summit in Beijing, China recently.
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