Samoa's national biodiversity report : report presented to the seminar on Marine Biodiversity and Sustainable Coastal and Marine Uses in the Pacific 15 - 19 June, Nadi, Fiji.

Abstract

Samoa has undertaken several activities to meet the objectives of the Convention of Biological Diversity. These include the passing of a Lands and Environment act 1989, establishment of its biodiversity conservation unit with the Department of Lands Survey and Environment, integration of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into national and sectoral planning and policies, drafting a national biodiversity policy and national biodiversity strategy, undertaking ecological surveys of terrestrial and marine environments, establishing a national database on biodiversity, development of ecologically and culturally representative system for protected areas and establishing new conservation areas, amendment of an Animals Ordinance and Fisheries Regulations to include threatened species and ecosystems, increasing investment in capacity building of staff to effectively implement biodiversity work, promotion of incentives for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and the promotion of equitable sharing of benefits derived from the use of biodiversity.