Helen Sykes presented the Fiji Shark Awareness Campaign at the 2nd Fiji Conservation Science Forum on Thursday 14th September 2011.

Sharks have roamed our oceans since before the time of dinosaurs, but their long reign at the top of the ocean food chain may be ending. Overfishing has devastated shark populations around the globe and numerous studies have documented significant declines.

Fiji Shark Defenders is an offshoot of the globally renowned Shark Defenders and is dedicated to conducting shark conservation awareness in Fiji to protect these magnificent animals that play an important role in our marine ecosystems, our way of life and our Pacific culture.

 2nd Fiji Conservation Science Forum

Under the Convention on Biological Diversity, countries committed to reducing the rate of biodiversity declines by 2010. By most accounts and indicators, the goal has not been reached. Species population trends, extinction risk, and habitat area and condition are continuing to decline, while pressures on biodiversity are increasing (Butchart et al. 2010), in particular from global climate change. Future climate scenarios and evidence of extinctions from past shifts suggest that changes to biodiversity may occur over time frames as rapid as decades (Hannah et al. 2002). These changes are particularly acute on small, islands where ranges are restricted and entire systems may be simultaneously affected by the same climate disturbance. Thus, there is great urgency to develop new, integrated conservation and management strategies that can respond dynamically to changes in ecosystems.

In order to focus our attention on these pressing issues, the main theme of the 2nd Fiji Conservation Science Forum is Confronting the Climate-Biodiversity Crisis.

Topics that will be covered within this theme include:
• Future Climate Scenarios
• Community-based Adaptation
• Species Responses
• Climate Change and Public Health
• Economics of Climate Change
• Scaling-up Local to National Management Approaches