Presenting Pacific Research at Int Conservation Biology Congress
In June 2025 we supported James Tremlett to present on New Zealand’s approach to ocean stewardship at the International Congress for Conservation Biology held in Brisbane.
ICCB presentation
The International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) is the biennial conference of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB), the global professional body for biodiversity science.
It is very rare for the ICCB to be held in or near Oceania, and this was an excellent opportunity to engage the global biodiversity scientific community with the world- leading relational/whakapapa approach to ocean stewardship taken by the Ocean Decade in Aotearoa.
James’s presentation was entitled: The rights and voice of the ocean in biodiversity conservation.
The presentation was based on a whakapapa approach to ocean science and focused on how, despite growing environmental threats, current ocean governance systems still rely on outdated approaches that separate people from nature and prioritise human use.
Drawing on recent research from across the Pacific, his presentation explored how Pacific cultural relationships with the ocean—and emerging legal concepts like environmental personhood—could lead to more effective and culturally grounded approaches to ocean policy and conservation.
His presentation also outlined the mahi being undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand during the UN Ocean Decade, including the work the National Decade Committee is undertaking.
Jame’s session was very well attended with standing room only, and those in attendance were very respective to the ideas shared.
