The 21st Pacific Science Congress
12 - 19 June, Okinawa, Japan
PSA concluded a very successful 21st Pacific Science Congress in Okinawa, Japan in June 2007. Information on many of the individual session presentations will be made available on the various PSA Working Group pages.
The 21st Pacific Science Congress Resolutions
Upon the recommendation of session leaders and participants, the Pacific Science Council has endorsed the following official resolutions of the 21 st Pacific Science Congress:
Communicating Science
The 21 st Pacific Science Congress endorses the exploration of a new PSA Working Group on Science Communication to develop new communications tools such as Web-accessible information systems, to more effectively address the need to stimulate broader and more inclusive science communication throughout the Pacific region.
Biodiversity
The 21 st Pacific Science Congress endorses the following:
- A comprehensive biological survey to document the distributions of species and their ecological requirements, and that the PSA Biodiversity Task Force play a leading role in this endeavor; and
- Development of new communications tools, especially Web-accessible information systems, to facilitate the dissemination of important information on the biodiversity of the Pacific region; and
- Strenuous efforts to develop the local institutional capacity in Pacific regional institutions, particularly in the areas of biological sciences, taxonomy, parataxonomy, and bioinformatics, which are essential to understanding and supporting sustainable resource utilization; and
- Prioritization of research on large-scale environmental processes in the region; and
- More intensive and sustained field-level conservation efforts working in authentic partnership with local communities and other stakeholders; and
- The greater use of social science tools and community-driven approaches to address on-the-ground conservation efforts; and
- Prioritizing efforts by scientists, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders to document and to support traditional systems that effectively promote the sustainable use and management of natural resources in the Pacific.
Coral Reef Fisheries and Ecosystems
The 21 st Pacific Science Congress endorses the following actions in order to enhance the effectiveness of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management in the Pacific region:
- More inclusive resource management approaches that ensure that all stakeholders and users of reef resources are actively engaged in the sustainable management of these critical ecosystems; and
- Greater collaboration between scientists and resource managers to develop appropriate research programs and management and policy plans, and easy-to-use data processing tools that will facilitate more effective monitoring and managing of reef fisheries; and
- Enhanced cooperation between scientists, local fishers, and local stakeholders to increase data collection on coral reef fisheries and ecosystems, which will facilitate more effective implementation of Ecosystems-Based Fisheries Management; and
- More intensive efforts to increase international and inter-regional institutional collaboration, particularly between those with advanced marine science expertise and regional Pacific institutions; and
- Enhanced information sharing and collaboration between projects and programmes in the Pacific region to ensure more efficient Ecosystems-Based Fisheries Management; and
- Strengthening the PSA Coral Reef Task Force in order to more effectively address these issues.
Ocean Acidification
Recognizing that available scientific evidence indicates that the phenomenon of ocean acidification is likely to have significant negative effects on marine species and habitats that are vital to ecological processes and the natural services they provide to human societies locally, regionally, and globally, the 21 st Pacific Science Congress endorses the immediate prioritization of research on the species-, ecosystem-, and societal-level implications of ocean acidification, and the establishment of a PSA Task Force on Ocean Acidification to facilitate this research.
Education For Sustainable Development In The Pacific Islands
Recognizing that current development models in the Pacific region are inherently unsustainable; and that education is a fundamental force driving attitudes that shapes social, economic and environmental change, therefore enhancing educational contexts is essential to promoting sustainability and the attainment of Millennium Development Goals. The 21 st Pacific Science Congress endorses the establishment of a PSA Task Force on Education for Sustainable Development in Pacific Islands Region. This Task Force will facilitate communication and collaboration between regional and international universities and research organizations in order to promote the implementation of the objectives of the U.N. Decade for Education on Sustainable Development. It will promote integration of modern scientific methodologies with traditional knowledge systems in order to establish new and more appropriate and effective educational approaches. The Task Force will also aim to organize a major session on “Education for a Sustainable Island Pacific: A Synthesis between Local and Globally Emerging Values and Issues” for the 11 th Pacific Science Inter-Congress that will be held in Tahiti, French Polynesia in March 2009.
Strengthening Linkages Between Science and Policy
Recognizing that scientific knowledge and evidence is essential in informing society and policymakers on important and emerging issues and the courses of action required to effectively address them, the 21 st Pacific Science Congress endorses using the PSA network to identify key opportunities for collaboration between various institutions that will strengthen linkages between scientists and policymakers.
Click here for a PDF text of the Congress Resolutions.
Click here for the final declaration from the Asia Pacific Telemedicine Initiative "Building eHeath Services in Developing Countries".
Click here for the text of the Address by HIH Princess Takamado to the Opening Plenary session.
The Gregory Medal was awarded to Professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois, Ph.D., Dr.h.c. for his distinguished research contributions in the Pacific region. Click here for the official Resolution from the Bishop Museum awarding the Medal to Prof. Mueller-Dombois.
The Shinkishi Hatai Medal was awarded to two distinguished leaders in Pacific marine biology. Dr. Tsuyoshi Kawasaki (Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University,Japan) and Dr. Shirley Winifred Jeffrey (CSIRO Marine Research, Australia）are the 2007 recipients of the Hatai Medal. Watch Dr. Jeffrey's video acceptance below.
Thanks to the Congress Organizers
The Pacific Science Association extends its congratulations and deep thanks to the University of the Ryukyus for the success of the 21st Pacific Science Congress (PSC-21). In particular, the PSA Council and Executive Board wish to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Dr. Teruo Iwamasa, President of the University of the Ryukyus and Chairman of the PSC-21 Local Organizing Committee; Dr. Moshin Morita, former President of the University of the Ryukyus and former Chairman of the PSC-21 Local Organizing Committee; Dr. Hiroshi Kakazu, Vice President of the University of the Ryukyus, Dr. Makoto Tsuchiya, Secretary General of the PSC-21; Ms. Kaori Kinjo, Secretary of the PSC-21, and the University of the Ryukyus Office of International Affairs. In addition, our thanks extend to all the members of the Local Organizing Committee, including Tokumasa Miyagi, Miwako Noguchi, Kunitoshi Sakurai, Tomoaki Toguchi, Eiki Senaha, Shigemi Kamiyama, Choshin Sunagawa, and Keiichi Omoto.
The hard work and commitment of all of these persons to the organization of such a complex meeting such as the PSC-21 was fundamental, and the PSA Council and Executive Board extend their sincerest gratitude.
The PSA also wishes to express its sincere and deep thanks to the Science Council of Japan, who provided a critical role in supporting the financial requirements of the Congress. We also wish to acknowledge and thank our partners at the Science Council of Asia for its critical cooperation in integrating its conference with the PSC-21 and thereby enhancing the success of the Congress.
The PSA Council and Executive Board wish to thank H.I.H. Princess Takamado for honoring the 21st Pacific Science Congress with her presence and for her insightful remarks in her plenary addresses to the Congress participants.
The PSA also extends our thanks to the various keynote speakers, including Dr. A.H. Zakri, Dr. Shigeru Omi, Dr. Hiroko Sho, Prof. Calestous Juma, Prof. Leo Tan Wee Hin, Dr. Laura Liswood, and Prof. Randall Thaman; and to the Science Council of Japan, who arranged the SCA/PSA Joint Symposium.
PSA also sends our sincere thanks to the Science Council of Asia for organizing the visit of H.I.H. Prince Akishino, and for arranging his special address at the SCA/PSA Joint Symposium. The Congress was deeply honored by his presence. We also wish to acknowledge SCJ’s efforts in organizing the keynote presentations of Dr. Rajendra Pachauri from the IPCC, and Prof. Leo Tan from the Singapore National Academy of Science.
The PSA also acknowledges and thanks the main organizing organizations of the PSC-21, including the Science Council of Japan, Ecological Society of Japan, Japanese Coral Reef Society, Japanese Society for Marine Biotechnology, Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine, The Association of Japanese Geographers, The Botanical Society of Japan, The Geological Society of Japan, The Human Geological Society of Japan, The Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science, The Oceanographic Society of Japan, The Zoological Society of Japan, and The Japan Society of Island Studies. We also thank the PSC-21 Co-Organizers: the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, Okinawa Prefectural College of Nursing, Okinawa University, Okinawa International University, Meio University, Okinawa Christian University, and Okinawa Women’s Junior College. We also thank the PSC-21 Co-Sponsors: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), the Meteorological Society of Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation. Finally, the PSA acknowledges and thanks the following for their support and cooperation: Okinawa Prefectural Government, Ginowan City, Naha City, Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Okinawa TV Broadcasting Co., Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Corp., Ryukyu Broadcasting Corp., Okinawa Times, and Ryukyu Shimpo.
Click here for a PDF text of the final Resolution from the PSA Council thanking the hosts, co-organizers, and other participants.