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The importance of coastal and marine environments to every aspect of the lives of Pacific Islanders cannot be overstated. Pacific Island Countries (PICs) maintain resource rights and management responsibilities for over 30million square kilometres of ocean, equivalent to the total land area of Canada, China and the USA. The total population of coastal pacific islanders is only 2.6 million. There are 11 square kilometres of ocean for each Pacific Islander. Jurisdictionally, the ocean is 200 times more significant to the average Pacific Islander than it is to the average global citizen.  

The Mauritius Strategy provides a framework for specific actions and measures to be taken at the national, regional and international levels in support of the sustainable development of small island developing states. Many of the issues faced today are related to the surrounding oceans such as climate change and sea level rise, global warming and the preservation of biodiversity.