A new marine monitoring boat launched in Nuku’alofa this week was a boon to the government’s marine projects.
The boat, which was assembled in Tonga late last year, is part of the Tonga Ridge to Reef Project.
The project aimed at maintaining and enhancing “the ecosystem goods and services on Tonga’s main lagoon catchment and marine reserve areas through an integrated approach to land, water, forest, biodiversity and coastal resource management”.
Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni, who had launched the boat, told guests at the Ngutulei Restaurant, Faua Wharf the boat was an “additional new achievement this year”.
He said the Ridge to Reef Program, under the Department of Environment continued to be successful after it was launched in 2015.
“First is the establishment of the Environment website in January, and secondly the recent approval of the revised Management Plan for Fanga’uta Lagoon Catchment called Fanga’uta Stewardship Plan by the Steering Committee in March,” he said.
Hon Sovaleni was grateful to UNDP for supporting the project.
