SAMOA’S Prime Minister Tupuola Sailele Malielegaoi and SIDS Coordinator Faalavaau Perin aSila ensured a high-level welcome to their country this week for a travelling tuna artwork produced by regional arts students in Fiji.
The tuna artwork was presented to support UN SIDS visibility for Oceans and Fisheries by the current Forum Fisheries Chair, te Ulu o Tokelau Aliki Faipule Kuresa Nasau.
In his remarks the Prime Minister thanked te Ulu for the contribution to ensuring an important issue such as Fisheries will be highlighted at this global meeting.
In his brief handover remarks Ulu Faipule Kuresa Nasau thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to meet.
He says the work of the different artists involved in unifying a whole tuna artwork symbolised the importance of regionalism and Pacific unity, especially for smaller islands/large ocean nations like Tokelau.
The tuna artwork was completed in Fiji in May in partnership with the USP Oceania Centre and features the artistic interpretations of six young arts students at the regional art space.
Their brief was to provide their creative interpretation of the Pacific’s multi-billion dollar Tuna Fishery.
It was funded with European Union support from the FFA-led DEVFISH II project run in partnership with the SPC.
The Tuna artwork is basically a creative initiative aimed raising visibility and discussion over fisheries issues at the 3rd SIDS in addition to panels where Fisheries Ministers will present on the challenges of balancing economic aspirations and conservation and management measures to ensure tuna stocks are kept at healthy levels.
Following on from its Samoa debut on Tuesday afternoon local time at the office of the Prime Minister, the tuna is bound for the To’oa Salamasina Hall where it will feature as part of an interactive social media activity at the Thursday TALAVOU Youth Forum, to engage the voices of the future leaders of the region in sharing their thoughts on the Pacific Fisheries resource which they will lead in the future.
