PREMIER of Rennell Bellona Collin Tesuatai during opening of a three-day round table meeting to address the East Rennell world heritage conservation site on Wednesday highlighted certain factors that hinder the conservation efforts there since it started in 1998.
“Conserving an area where a people’s livelihood and environment mean the same thing is a critical issue for our communities; people either eat or conserve, hardly both.
“ The legality of the whole project is also under question. The conservation of East Rennell under world heritage convention does not have a legal binding as a result the program does not have legal authority to regulate the conservation of East Rennell,” he pointed out.
“Another issue regards customary lands, how could common projects happen on privately owned customary land? These are barriers to this concept of conservation and world heritage.
“It prevents the ability of the World Heritage Site Committee to regulate the conservation of the area,” he adds.
Mr Tesutatai clearly stated that these issues have caused too many confusion amongst various stakeholders of this program and so much so, the indigenous people of East Rennell, who now have to shoulder the responsibility of conserving the area.
He emphasized that the national government being the state party and the Ministry of Environment and Conservation as the focal point should show some seriousness commitment to its nomination for East Rennell to enlist under world heritage.
“A draft bill must be prepared under the ministry responsible.
“Also under the bill, it must create a desk for an officer from our committee to be stationed.
“And also create close relationship with our committee to ensure the village-based people issues are addressed,” he said.
The Rennell Bellona Premier is hopeful that the round-table discussion will provide some good news and assurance to the East Rennell committee as they return home,” he remarked.
More than four provincial assembly members of Rennell Bellona provincial executive are also attending the meeting.
By TEDDY KAFO
