The Blue Cradle Foundation is excited to announce that it has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State to host the Young Pacific Leaders Workshop on Marine Conservation in conjunction with the Tiaki Moana Summit & Workshop, in Tahiti from March 24-27, 2025. This event will focus on bottom-up marine conservation approaches, emphasizing the involvement of local communities in sustainable fisheries and ridge to reef management.

The Young Pacific Leaders community consists of dynamic individuals aged 20-35 from various countries, including Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii.

Tiaki Moana will provide a platform to hear from and empower these young leaders to design and build capacity for Marine Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) as part of the global effort to meet global biodiversity targets. By focusing on local Indigenous and community-driven initiatives, the workshop seeks to foster sustainable management of marine resources, thereby ensuring the health and resilience of the Pacific region’s marine ecosystems.

“The grant from the U.S. Department of State is a testament to the critical role young leaders need to increasingly play in marine conservation,” said James Nikitine, Executive Director at the Blue Cradle Foundation and International Visitor Leadership Program alumni. “Tiaki Moana with its model will give participants a unique opportunity to share views in a participatory fashion, while exchanging across generations, effecting positive change in their communities and contributing to broader conservation goals.”

The Tiaki Moana event will serve as a prelude to the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), scheduled to take place in Nice, France, in June 2025, hosted by the governments of France and Costa Rica. This alignment with the SDG14 (life below water) objectives underscores the significance of regional collaboration in addressing global ocean challenges.

“Through a variety of programs and engagements like this marine conservation workshop, annual conferences, exchanges, and seed funding the Young Pacific Leaders program seeks to build the leadership capabilities and strengthen ties between the Pacific region. We have so much in common including our shared values, history, geography, and ocean” says U.S. Ambassador Tom Udall. “The Pacific ocean connects us all, we’re proud to partner with the Blue Cradle Foundation to support and connect Young Pacific Leaders to determine how best to care for it for their generation and beyond.”

The workshop is supported by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pew Bertarelli, and IUCN Oceania, along with strong backing from the Tahiti government, Rahui Center, CRIOBE, Gump Station, Tetiaroa Society, and Ocean Knowledge Action Network. Associate partners include the Blue Climate Initiative, Conservation International, SPREP, and WWF.

Young Pacific Leader nominations will be made by event partners Pew Bertarelli, IUCN and the Rahui Center. For further information about the Tiaki Moana workshop and the Blue Cradle Foundation’s initiatives, please visit www.tiakimoana.org and www.bluecradle.org. For more information about the Young Pacific Leaders, visit www.nz.usembassy.gov/young-pacific-leaders/

Media Contact:
Blue Cradle Foundation, contact@bluecradle.org