ownership by the PICs. So what is the way ahead? As already mentioned there is no short cut or a specially tailored version of sustainable development for those who can+t afford it. The PICs still have to develop capacity, access technology, carry out fundamental research, store data and then apply the acquired knowledge. Those who think otherwise and operate in a data, knowledge and policy vacuum bring on themselves mismanagement, financial wastage and environmental disasters. This seems to have the makings of a circular argument with no possible solution to the above scenario. In fact this is not so and what is required is a little information exchange and the building of a few bridges between those who have the capacity and the PICs who have the need. One such bridge is the use of existing regional organisations and institutions who represent and operate on behalf of the Pacific countries. The South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) based in Suva and representing 17 countries is one such organisation. It is not the intention of this short discourse to provide a full description of SOPAC, its mandate and role. However it is worth noting that SOPAC provides the missing technical capacity for many of its member countries. It is able to ask the required questions of outside researchers, advise its members and most importantly through its regional data centre store, for its member countries the data that is often lost from the region. To the outside researcher, at the very least it provides a point of contact.
It is an organisation which might inform the uninitiated of what has already been done, what data exists and often what else is required. It offers a mechanism for coordinating trans-boundary work and cooperation in activities involving several nations. The diagrams and figures following this narrative give some indication of the number of cruises that have taken place in the SOPAC region at various times in the past. It is but a representative sample of the complete data-set and illustrates some of the work coordinated by SOPAC.
The type of research associated with the theme of this workshop is the very type that the previous comments have been about. Oceanographic research involving large vessels, high technology in the use of buoys and satellites for transmitting the data to storage sites far removed from the PICs.
Although there has always been the offer for cooperation with the individual nations very little has actually transpired as many if not most of the countries have not had the expertise nor the resources to have been involved in the planning process.
The countries of the Pacific are concerned about the sustainable development of the region and the promotion of marine scientific research for the common benefit of mankind. The PICs wish to be a full partner in these endeavours and hope that cooperation with their regional organisations offers a real window of opportunity.
