Singapore Committed To Biodiversity Conservation At The International Level
Community involvement strengthens biodiversity conservation.
Speech by Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Parliamentary Secretary for National Development at the Hawksbill Turtle Tag and Release 24 August 2010 at Big Sisters Island.
Mr Chng Hwee Hong, Executive Director, Haw Par Corporation and Deputy Chairman, Underwater World Singapore,
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Students and Teachers:
Good afternoon. I am happy to join you today at Big Sister’s Island for the Hawksbill Turtle Tag and Release event. I note that the event, hosted by the Underwater World Singapore, has been organized in commemoration of the International Year of Biodiversity.
The United Nations has declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of the variety of life on Earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives.
As we learn to appreciate the wonders of nature, it is important that we also understand that everyone is dependent on nature and the natural ecosystems that support biodiversity.
It is important that all parties come together to share their knowledge and experience on how best to safeguard the Earth’s biodiversity.
Singapore, despite being a small country with competing needs for limited resources, has strived to balance economic development and biodiversity conservation. We are also committed to contributing to biodiversity conservation at the international level.
In fact, Singapore is working with the Convention on Biological Diversity (or CBD) Secretariat on developing the CBD-led Cities’ Biodiversity Index. This is being done in partnership with the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity.
There is currently a lack of self-assessment tools that cities can use in measuring their conservation efforts. The Cities’ Biodiversity Index will hence go towards helping cities benchmark their biodiversity conservation efforts over time.
I would like to applaud the joint collaborative effort of Underwater World Singapore (UWS), the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium of Japan (PNPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of USA (NOAA) to conserve the Hawksbill turtle.
This species of turtle is internationally acknowledged as endangered and is listed as “critically endangered” in The Singapore Red Data Book – a source of reference for conservation plans and efforts of various governmental and non-governmental organisations published by Nature Society, Singapore.
I understand that satellite-tracking devices will be fitted on the turtles that will be released today to study their migratory behaviour, and the results would be shared at various international scientific forums this year. This study will help us to better understand the behaviour of Hawksbill turtles and improve turtle conservation efforts.
I am pleased to see that students and forum participants from this morning’s multidisciplinary forum on turtle conservation have joined us for the turtle release.
With concerted and coordinated efforts by scientists, and the passionate support of individuals like you, our biodiversity conservation efforts will continue to be strengthened.
If we work hard today, our children and grandchildren will also get their chance to enjoy the richness of nature that we today enjoy. Thank you.
The Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity was launched at the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Congress in 2007.
It is a network of UN agencies, international organizations, including ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) and IUCN, and local governments that aims to improve the management and conservation of biodiversity through technical cooperation, capacity building projects and communication campaigns.
Topics: 2010, Asia, Big Sisters Island, biodiversity, CBD-led Cities’ Biodiversity Index, conservation, environment, Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity, Governance, government, Hawksbill turtle, Hawksbill Turtle Tag and Release, moniter, monitor, news, NOAA, Pacific, PNPA, Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium of Japan, schools, Singapore, students, teachers, trutles, UN, Underwater World Singapore, United Nations
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