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The 7th Conference of the Pacific Community and 41st Meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) took place at SPC headquarters in Noumea from 1 to 8 November. The Conference of the Pacific Community — SPC's governing body - is held every two years and is immediately preceded by the meeting of CRGA, which makes recommendations to the Conference.

The plastic demijohn Origin: streets, streams, beaches and boats. Behaviour: can cause serious, even fatal intestinal blockages in marine animals if swallowed. Average lifespan: 400 to 600 years. The battery Origin: streets, streams and boats. Behaviour: discharges liquids that are highly toxic for marine animals and plants. Average lifespan: more than 1000 years. The plastic bottle Origin: streets, streams, beaches and boats. Behaviour: can cause fatal intestinal blockages in marine animals that swallow it. Average lifespan: 300 to 500 years.

Between 4 February and 8 March 2005, the Cook Islands experienced five damaging cyclones within a period of five weeks, four of which were assigned a severity rating of Category 51 and caused damage to homes and essential public infrastructure. The Government and its agencies provided early warning information dissemination, evacuation and emergency relief to the affected population with the support of international and regional relief agencies. Following the cyclones, the Government assessed the physical damage but it lacked all of the necessary capacity and resources to finance the immediate recovery and reinstatement of basic services.

This Strategic Plan for the Regional Maritime Programme (RMP) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) follows on from RMP's Three year strategic plan 2003 to 2005. It builds on achievements of the previous plan period and sets out the direction of the Programme over the next five years (2006 to 2010).

The Pacific islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability.1 Adaptation to climate change and variability (CCV) is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks. Countries in the Pacific have clearly recognized the need to (i) reduce their vulnerability to these increasing risks through adaptation, and (ii) strengthen their human and institutional capacities to assess, plan, and respond to these challenges.

The Pacific Islands region faces increasing environmental and socioeconomic pressures exacerbated by global climate change and climate variability.1 Adaptation to climate change and variability (CCV) is ultimately an issue of sustainable development. Even without climate change, Pacific island countries are already severely affected by climate variability and extremes, and they remain extremely vulnerable to future changes in the regional climate that could increase the risks. Countries in the Pacific have clearly recognized the need to (i) reduce their vulnerability to these increasing risks through adaptation,2 and (ii) strengthen their human and institutional capacities to assess, plan, and respond to these challenges.

This booklet is a vehicle for sharing knowledge between the islands of the Pacific Community about the basic fishery management measures that have been used in different places for regulating particularly important or potentially vulnerable species. Regulations should not be transferred verbatim from one area to another unless their situations are known to be similar. This booklet is not intended to promote any particular management measure or approach, but indicates the range of measures that have been used. It also presents the legal and fishery management precedents that have been set in various countries. This information will be useful to Pacific Island governments that are developing or revising fisheries regulations.

This Strategic Plan for the Land Resources Division (LRD) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) sets out the direction of the division over the next four years (2005 to 2008). It follows and supersedes the 2001–2004 Strategic Plan of the Agriculture Programme and the 2001–2005 Strategic Plan of the Forestry Programme. It recognises the achievement of several objectives contained in these earlier documents, as well as current and emerging regional priorities in the agriculture and forestry sectors. The plan reflects the recent organisational restructure, which brought together the previously separate Agriculture and Forestry programmes under the umbrella of an integrated Land Resources Division.

Some underwater photographs of live sea cucumbers are reproduced with kind permission from the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and the WorldFish Center. Photographs of dried beche-de-mer are by Eric Aubry and Jipé LeBars, Noumea, New Caledonia.

The Pacific Regional Framework comprising this Background Note. Model Law and Explanatory Memorandum, has been developed to assist Pacific Island countries and territories wishing to legally protect its Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture. The framework is developed in response to calls from the region, in the face of increasing exploitation and inappropriate commercialization of their traditional knowledge and expressions of culture.