Updates from the Ministry

M I N I S T R Y O F N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S , E N V I R O N M E N T A N D T O U R I S M

May 2018

Ministerial Directive "Towards a Plastic-Free Palau"

We hope that the wider community will be inspired by this initiative and ask that you supportit in whichever way you can, for example by purchasing paper/reusable cups and plates formeetings, refusing plastic straws or replacing plastic bags with reusable bags.  

To read the full Ministerial Directive and learn more about the initiative, see page 3.

On 11th May, Minister Sengebau signed the new MinisterialDirective "Towards a Plastic-Free Palau".

The initiative will require Ministry staff to reduce their plasticuse at the office and during meetings.  Water bottles wereprovided to each employee of the Ministry to encourage the useof those water bottles instead of bringing plastic bottled wateror drinks.  This also contributes to health as it encouragesdrinking water. 

Ehrlick Termeteet, BOA (5/10) Pamela Wasisang, BMR (5/15) McQuiston Temol, BMR (5/18) Liosi Y. Kib, BMR (5/26) Fernando Sengebau, BOA (5/30)

Birthdays this month

MAY NEWS

GREEN FINSF E A T U R E D P R O J E C T

Green Fins is an organization that helps to implementenvironmental standards for the diving and snorkelingindustry through a code of conduct. The overall aim of theinitiative is to mitigate damaging impacts to the marineenvironment from the marine tourism sector and improvesustainability. Businesses that have adopted the Code ofConduct can be assessed against several criteria, resultingin an average score that ranges from 0 (no environmentalimpact) to a maximum of 330 (highest impact). The scoreallows assessors to determine which impacts representthe greatest environmental threats, and how businessescan better manage their activities.  

In Palau, Green Fins forms part of the Responsible Tourism Framework. The frameworksupports efforts to balance Palau’s economic development and environmental objectives,and Green Fins is one of the tools through which these goals are being realized. This isachieved by building greater awareness and adoption of Responsible Tourism principlesand behavior in both industry and the community to ensure the health of Palau’senvironment and economy. 

The Green Fins Code of Conduct 

Participants at the

first  Green Fins

workshop in Palau.

Photo credit:Bureau of Tourism

Palau currently has nine Green Fins member businesses:  Dari Divers, Fish ‘n’ Fins, Fun PalauTour, IMPAC Tours, NECO Marine, PPIT, Palau Dive Adventures, Sam’s Tours and Splash. In arecent assessment conducted by three assessors from the Bureau of Tourism’s Division ofCompliance, these businesses achieved an average score of 186. The three assessors wereCompliance Specialist Ray Marino and Compliance Officers Endira Apsalom and Bowe K.Akitaya.

The Bureau of Tourism is adopting Green Fins by requiring Tour Operators conducting marinetour activities to integrate Green Fins in their Environmental Standard Operating Procedures(SOP). These SOPs need to be submitted to the Bureau. As such, Green Fins is one of severalstrategies that BOT employs to ensure the safety of our environment as well as managingPalau’s tourism industry. 

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M I N I S T E R I A L D I R E C T I V E     " T O W A R D S A P L A S T I C - F R E E P A L A U "

May 11, 2018

MNRET Serial No. 1536/18  

Ministerial Directive "Towards a Plastic-Free Palau"

WHEREAS, being the Ministry mandated  "To provide a policy framework for the managementand development of natural resources, environment and tourism in order to contribute tosustainable socio-economic development for the benefit of present and future generations ."; and,

 WHEREAS, the Palau Earth Day Theme is "Our Environment, Our Health. Working Together toEnd Plastic Pollution"; and,

NOW THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the Minister of NaturalResources, Environment, and Tourism, I hereby implement the following: 

1. Towards a Plastic-Free Palau

The Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism will implement a plasticreduction initiative including foam products within the Ministry and in its sponsoredmeetings. MNRET will begin reducing its plastic footprint through the reduction in the use ofplastic products and utilizing alternative recyclable products. 

 2. Sponsored Meetings

MNRET will implement a No Plastic Bottled Water and Styrofoam distribution at meetingsand encourage reusable and/or recyclable products by initiating the following: 

Encourage participants to bring personal water bottles by including this note as part of theinvitation letter Igloos will be used to provide water for participants Paper cups or reusable cups can be used Catering encouraged to reduce plastic products and utilize reusable lunch boxes and/orrecyclable containers 

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3. Office Efforts

MNRET staff are encouraged to utilize reusable water bottles within offices and to reducethe reliance and use of other plastic products. 

Employees are encouraged to reduce the use of plastic bottled water within the vicinitiesof the MNRET offices.Employees will be provided with a personal water bottle and are encouraged to utilize itin the office Water dispensers are available for employees and are encouraged to use reusable and/orrecyclable containers  Employees are encouraged to reduce the use of styrofoams and other plastic products,when possible 

4. Term of the Initiative

This initiative shall continue unless removed by another Ministerial Directive. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal this 11thday of May, 2018 in Ngerulmud , Republic of Palau. 

F. Umiich Sengebau  Minister 

Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment & Tourism 

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BWA and Partners Host National Dialogue

May 10, 2018 – The Belau Watershed Alliance (BWA), which MNRET currently serves assecretariat to, hosted a National Dialogue on Environment Issues. The purpose of the NationalDialogue was to raise awareness among all national, local, private agencies, and communitybased organizations (CBOs) on Palau’s environment issues.

This space allowed various stakeholders to participate in an issue learning atmosphere toincrease their knowledge of environment policies, programs, and frameworks in place toaddress current environment issues. Most importantly, this national dialogue clarified eachparticipating agency or organization’s value added role in improving institutional decisionmaking and conservation of biodiversity. Communities play an important role in achievingPalau’s environmental objectives both nationally and globally. As such, this national dialoguewas a way to ensure that our community efforts to manage resources and conservebiodiversity meet our national commitments and benefit our people.  

M A Y T I D B I T S F R O M O U R B U R E A U S

Special Projects under the Ministry - GEF Pacific R2R IW Project

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Cont'd from previous page: BWA and Partners Host National Dialogue

Various environmental agencies presented on national environment policies, strategies, andinitiatives such as the presentation of the State of Palau’s Environment, the Climate ChangePolicy, Land Degradation Strategies, National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan, Palau WaterPolicy, and the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

In addition, community organizations presented on community based environmentalstrategies and efforts, namely the Small Grants Programme (SGP), Ngeremlengui State, DilisorAgriculture Association of Ngarchelong, Mindszenty High School, and Ngarchelong StateProtected Area Network (PAN).

The success of the National Dialogue was made possible with the support of the following co-hosts and planning team, namely the GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), the UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP), the Palau Government, the Protected AreasNetwork (PAN), the Association of State PAN Coordinators (ASPC), and Palau ConservationSociety.  BWA is committed to working with all agencies, organizations, and private sectors tofurther strengthen its relationships to help increase knowledge on Palau’s environment issues. 

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Special Projects under the Ministry - GEF Pacific R2R IW Project

Minister Sengebau attends PNA leaders' meeting

In April, Minister Sengebau attended a workshopwith the PNA CEO, current and past PNA Chairs, andseveral other key stakeholders to advance the PNA’splanning for increasing benefits to Pacific Islandersfrom the region’s lucrative tuna fisheries.  Thisworkshop followed an October 2017 exchange tripto Alaska during which Minister Sengebau and otherPNA leaders explored strategies and models thatAlaskan coastal communities have successfully usedto increase their control of, and participation in, thestate’s fisheries, including the CommunityDevelopment Quota model.  

Ministry-level News

One of several concepts the group discussed and will continue to explore is PNA investmentin existing, profitable tuna fisheries businesses and subsequent allocation of earnings fromthese investments to rebuild coastal fisheries and enhance coastal community resilience.

Minister Sengebau during the PNA leaders'

exchange in Alaska, October 2017.

Photo credit: Mark Zimring

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Goran Livestock Officer I

Goran Olkeriil Vanoosterweyck works as a LivestockOfficer at the Bureau of Agriculture’s Palau NationalSlaughterhouse. He, along with three co-workers,oversees the whole operation of the slaughterhouse bymainly producing locally manufactured pork products. 

Stanford  Livestock Officer I

At the age of 26, Stanford Blaluk from Melekeok Statestarted working in Palau’s first National Slaughterhouseunder MNRET. Stanford graduated from Palau HighSchool with a focus in Agriculture Science. He continuedat PCC for a couple of years but decided to withdraw forpersonal reasons. He worked for the Melekeok StateGovernment for three years and then transferred toMelekeok Elementary School. 

While working at the school he heard about the opening in the National Slaughter house, so heapplied. When asked why he was interested in working for the Slaughterhouse, he replied, “Iwanted to be the first employee there because while growing up, I learned and experiencedmany techniques in preparing pigs for customs and wanted to learn more.” 

Goran is very passionate about working in the agricultural industry and finds his job veryrewarding for the whole island nation. It helps by promoting local products, enhancing foodsecurity and generating local revenue to the government. It is also very rewarding for Goranpersonally because he has worked his whole life to get where he is today.

He majored in Agriculture in Palau High School and graduated with honors from his field ofstudy. He then went on to PCC and graduated with an AAS Degree in Agricultural Science in2014. After graduation, he wanted to pursue a higher education so he applied and gotaccepted to the University of Guam where he majored in Agricultural Science. Due to personalreasons, he came back to Palau and was hired last year to work for the NationalSlaughterhouse. Immediately after being hired, he went to Taiwan along with his three co-workers (see below) to attend a vigorous training about handling and producing healthy andsafe pork products. Goran says he enjoys working for the slaughterhouse and hopes that oneday, Palau won’t depend on pork imports and sustain its own supply of pork meat.

Bureau of Agriculture (BOA)

Introducing: Slaughterhouse Employees

Goran. Photo credit: Bureau of Agriculture

Stanford. Photo credit: Bureau of Agriculture

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Tyler  Livestock Officer I

Tyler Livestock Officer I Tyler Abraham began hisacademic career in agriculture in his junior to senioryears at Palau High School. He pursued his interest inthe agricultural field further at Palau CommunityCollege. 

However, while attending the course he detoured and acquired an interest in hospitality. Hejoined the Food and Beverage Department at Palau Pacific Resort (PPR) where he focused onexcellence in service and trained for five years. Fast forward, when he applied and wasselected as one of the four individuals to train in Taiwan and then work in Palau’s NationalSlaughter House. He finds his past experience at PPR very useful in his current role. Inagriculture, our passion to diversify our food source, securing the quality of our naturalrecourses and reaching out to help our community has led Tyler to take part in this great roleunder the Bureau of Agriculture.

Bureau of Agriculture (BOA)

Introducing: Slaughterhouse Employees

Tyler. Photo credit: Bureau of Agriculture

Although the work is hard, she explained that during the two weeks training in Taiwan, shelearned a lot. Understanding that the work is very demanding, she strictly follows proceduresto make sure the work is done right. Her efforts and work ethic helps reduce contamination,and too produce high quality pork product available to all the people that lives in Palau. 

Stephanie Sogaw Andrew Livestock Officer I

One of our very own Livestock Officers I, StephanieSogaw Andrew graduated Palau High School in 2007,and Palau Community College in 2010. While growingup in Ngatpang, she loved going fishing on the reefs, andhunting in her hometown forest. These childhoodactivities made working in the Slaughter House comeeasy. 

Stephanie. Photo credit: Bureau of Agriculture

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The project for the renovation of the PalauMariculture Demonstration Center (PMDC)

Facility began in November of 2017 and isexpected to be finished by August 2018.  The

project costs over $5 million and was madepossible through Japan’s Overseas

Development Aid in consultation withJapan’s Fisheries Engineering Co., Ltd.  

The contractor is Iwata Chizaki Inc. and the

implementing agency is the JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

Renovation of the Palau Mariculture Demonstration Center

Once completed, the upgraded PMDC facilitywill be able to increase the annual production ofgiant clam seedlings for export from 32,869 to112,000, ultimately quadrupling the overallyield of giant clams for Palau.  

Minister Sengebau says the generous support byJapan is greatly appreciated as it contributes toour overall efforts to strengthen our foodsecurity while ensuring sustainablemanagement of giant clams throughout thecountry.

The Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR) who oversees management operations of PMDCneeds to continue to budget an amount of about $41,000 annually as an expense foroperation and maintenance of the new facility. The amount corresponds to 7.5% of BMR’stotal budget (for 2015) of $550,000.

In order to strengthen the sustainability of income from the giant clam revolving funds tobridge potential gaps in operational and maintenance costs, it is desirable that fair prices bepromoted in the sale of giant clam seedlings and income sources be diversified, such asfuture visitors to the PMDC facility. 

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Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR)

Site of the PMDC facility.

Model of the PMDC facility after completion.

PATA Micronesia Chapter Membership

The Bureau of Tourism (BOT) became a member ofthe Pacific Asia Travel Association MicronesiaChapter (PATA Mic) on April 18, 2018.  In efforts tostrengthen BOT, we sought membership in PATAMic.  We believe membership in this regionalassociation enables access to technical assistancefrom and collaboration with regional tourismpartners such as visitor bureaus or authorities fromGuam, Saipan, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM),and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.  

One such technical assistance is through the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) whom we haveasked to assist BOT in establishing our Tour Guide Certification Program.  GVB has sharedtheir Training Modules for us to use in creating our own.  BOT is already benefiting and webelieve will further benefit from being a PATA Mic member, and will be able to contributeand assist other members as we continue to build and increase capacity and furtherstrengthen the Bureau. 

PATA Annual Summit, Gangneung, South Korea

May 17-20, 2018: At the invitation of the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA) Board ChairmanNgiraibelas Tmetuchl, Minister Sengebau and Senior Tourism Policy Advisor Fabian B. Iyar,representing MNRET, traveled with PVA Board members and the Palau Delegation, whichalso included Senator Kerai Mariur and Koror State Legislators Vann Isaac and JeniferSugiyama, to Gangneung, South Korea to attend the PATA Annual Summit 2018.

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Bureau of Tourism (BOT)

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Continued from previous page: PATAAnnual Summit, Gangneung, South Korea

The summit was themed, “Building Bridges,Connecting People - How CollaborationCreates Opportunities".

PATA understands that the vitality of theindustry can only be maintained andsustained through the concerted effortsof all stakeholders, working in harmonyand unison to build bridges and not walls.  

To this end, PATA brought together adiverse line-up of international thoughtleaders and senior decision makers whoare professionally engaged in the AsiaPacific region, to discuss the variousconnections that shape the industry as wemove towards a future that is sure toexperience exponential change andgrowth.

Several examples of success stories were presented. One notable session was themedConnecting Communities: Harmonising Local Interests with Global Sustainability in TourismDevelopment. It focused on scalable approaches that encourage partnerships between thepublic and private sectors, and between local business owners, suppliers and partners aswell as travellers.  This session also addressed the importance of how local communitypartnerships help to reduce negative environmental and social impacts of tourism whileencouraging economic growth.  The session furthermore touched on best practices thatencourage local community engagement, social responsibility and sustainability that willenable our destination, hence our tourism product, to remain intact, viable, and relevant.  

BOT-MNRET looks forward to continued participation and collaboration with PVA to stayabreast of new developments and trends in the tourism industry. 

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Bureau of Tourism (BOT)

WHO IS. . .?

D O R O T H Y T A D A O U E D AS P E C I A L A S S I S T A N T , B U R E A U O F   T O U R I S M

Dorothy started working at MNRET in 2013 and soon joined the steering committee for the creation ofthe Bureau of Tourism (BOT). From 2013-2014 she worked with numerous agencies to develop themandate for the BOT, enabling its creation in 2014. Nowadays Dorothy helps with BOT’s communitywork and awareness programs. She is the Secretary Treasurer of Belau Watershed Alliance and alsoworks part-time at the President’s Office.  So far, the proudest moment of her career was “when, onFebruary 26th 2014, the President signed Executive Order 357, bringing to life the Bureau of Tourism. Thatwas the day all our hard work paid off. Another proud moment was when we finished the renovations to what isnow the BOT. We did the whole interior decorating. The Minister liked the bright colors and design so much thathe set up a permanent office with us!”

Dorothy grew up and still lives in Koror, but also feels at home in Ngarchelong where her parents arefrom. Her favorite pastimes are cooking, arts and crafts, and decorating: “So you see, I made my hobby myjob. I also really enjoy the time I get to spend with my husband. Maybe that’s something about my age.”

 About the people that inspire her the most, she says “the Minister is young, upbeat, straightforward,outgoing, and he is a very good father and husband. If he knows that something is good for the Ministry andPalau, he will make the necessary sacrifice. He is daring; I admire that. Mary (Endelmel, from PVA) reallyinspired me professionally, pushed me to become better at my job. The First Lady taught me how to act amongand talk to people, and how to organize and cater for big events, looking at both the big picture and the smalldetails. The President inspires me with his humbleness and his care for poor people. And of course my dad; healways put people before himself.”

Her message for fellow co-workers is to “be patient and tenacious; hang in there no matter what. You can’talways be nice and happy, but if you have the attitude that things will turn out ok, and appreciate your co-workers and let them know it often, that’s the way. We spend more time with our co-workers than our families.”

Dorothy has a dream for when she retires: “I’d like to open a space where women can come in the evenings tohave a break from their husbands and kids, have coffee together, laugh and cry, share stories, look at the stars.At my age, housework is secondary; it’s interpersonal relationships that matter and that sustain us, and I’d liketo create a safe, nurturing space for women in Ngarchelong to do that. Us women tend to lose ourselves in allour obligations to family, work, customs... It’s like a big cake and we keep giving pieces of it to everyone untilthere’s none left for us, until the well dries up. I want to help change that. I want to give a piece of that cake backto women.”