PIMRIS Launches Portal at USP

The Pacific Islands ‘Marine Portal’ was launched at the University of the South Pacific (USP), on Thursday 25 March 2010.

The portal is a result of successful collaboration between the Pacific Islands Marine Resources Information Network (PIMRIS), USP and the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange Programme (IODE) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, to improve access to Pacific marine information in the Pacific Island community.

The portal contains news, articles and directories of websites relevant to Pacific fisheries and to the coastal and marine environment of the Pacific Islands. It offers marine information for the general public, USP students and staff, decision makers and professionals who need information for their work, and is categorised as follows:

• Virtual libraries and E-Repositories
• Global Marine Databases and Resource Centers
• Pacific Organisations and Institutions
• Pacific Country Profiles
• Pacific Marine Protected Areas
• Pacific Marine Conventions, Treaties, and Legislation
• Maps, GIS Data and Ocean Observing Systems
• Training and Educational Resources
• Online Journals
• Regional Initiatives and Projects
• Key Contacts

In his address at the launch, Associate Professor Dr Joeli Veitayaki, reminisced on how things were done manually, by using cards to visit the shelves to confirm if the source that was being sought was there or not. He assured that the provision of information is becoming even more accessible and easy. Dr Veitayaki stated that our marine resources continue to dwindle as our numbers continue to explode and the ecological services provided by our ecosystems increasingly are compromised by the effects of our activities.

He said, “As humanity, we need to act fast to secure and provide our people with the resources and development activities that will allow them to have dignified and successful lives while protecting the integrity and health of the natural systems that support our lives. The best way to do that is to learn the lessons from the past and then use our best science and technology to formulate and implement sustainable development activities and resource management arrangements for use in all of our communities and countries. For that challenge, we need to have access to the best information we can get, which is what the PIMRIS PORTAL offers”.

Also present at the Portal Launch were representatives of key organisations such as the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), the South Pacific Commission (SPC), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).