A nature conservation conference in Solomon Islands this week is to focus on communities.
The annual conference is attended by a variety of organisations to discuss better coordination and management of conservation activities in the Pacific.
The chair of the roundtable, Taholo Kami, says they've been working on protecting marine and land areas in the past, but have now decided to shift focus.
"What we're learning is more emphasis on communities, the other is being better at working in countries in the Pacific; so ensuring that we're in line with government priorities and doing it smarter. This year for example we're prioritising Fiji, PNG and the Solomons, which are often seen as the more difficult countries for this kind of work."
Taholo Kami says conservation must become a development priority, especially during the current financial and climate crisis as Pacific countries are dependent on natural resources.
