UN General Assembly
1998

square kilometres of ocean. Fisheries are essential for our economy. Last April, Parliament enacted legislation to control the exploitation of our fish resources and to maximize the benefits for our people. Protecting the fragile marine ecosystem from pollution is a major concern. With the assistance of the UNDP, a study will soon be undertaken to assess the potential danger to the marine environment posed by the large quantity of submerged ordnance from the Second World War. Projects to encourage ecotourism as well as the processing of forest products within the Solomon Islands are being considered. The special session of the General Assembly next year to review the overall implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States promises to be an important occasion to assess the progress made in the last five years. Solomon Islands will participate actively in the preparatory work and in the seventh session of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the donors conference on small island developing States. Natural disaster remains the greatest environmental