In June 2025, the Cook Islands joined 21 other countries for a two-week Training Seminar on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Blue Economic Development, held in Xiamen City, China. The seminar brought together participants from the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean regions to share knowledge, build expertise, and strengthen national marine planning efforts.
Representing the Cook Islands was Alowesi Suveinakama, Compliance Officer at the National Environment Service (NES). The seminar was hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and the Fujian Institute of Oceanography. Over two weeks, participants explored China’s approach to marine spatial planning, including how development zones are categorized using Operational Boundaries, a system that regulates development through zoning, permits, and environmental safeguards.
This zoning system, known as the Marine Ecological Red Line, ensures that development is guided by environmental safeguards, contributing significantly to the effectiveness of China’s blue economy strategy.
For the Cook Islands, these MSP methods offer valuable insights. Adopting similar approaches could enhance our capacity to spatially map and monitor activities across our marine environment. NES is building capacity in this area and remains open to training opportunities like this, which provide a useful platform to observe international best practices and assess how they might be adapted to local contexts.
