World Oceans Day is an opportunity to highlight the importance of the struggle to protect and preserve our oceans.

This was highlighted by President, Jioji Konrote while speaking at the opening of the World Oceans Day Symposium in Suva. 

He adds that it is also a celebration of the millions of men, women and children around the world who have committed themselves to making a difference in this struggle.

Konrote also highlighted that Fiji's leadership on the preservation of the world's oceans is one of the most important tasks our nation has ever undertaken.

He also revealed that next month, Pacific leaders will gather in Suva for the Climate Action Pacific Partnership Event and a Pacific Talanoa Dialogue as a prelude to the Talanoa Dialogue Fiji will preside over with Poland at COP24 in December. 

Konrote says that it is all about raising ambition in the climate struggle adding that today Fiji is determined more than ever, with our Pacific neighbours, to persuade the nations of the world to take much more decisive action to save our oceans.

The day‑long symposium, organised by the Pacific Community, is to celebrate World Oceans Day and to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life.

Konrote also officially launched the Pacific Ocean Portal, which was developed by oceanographers, ICT and communications specialists from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, in consultation with a wide range of Pacific Island users.

The portal brings together high quality, open‑access ocean data from a variety of sources and displays information visually on dashboards, maps and graphs that can be easily cut, pasted, and shared.