Free Presentation: “The Palau Pledge and Visitor Fee: A Concept to Help Maui Address Over-tourism?”

KIHEI— The children of Palau have written a passport pledge for every arriving visitor to sign, holding them ecologically and culturally responsible while touring the island and as to protect and preserve one of the world’s biggest marine protected areas. Would you take the Palua Pledge?

The public is invited to a free presentation called “The Palau Pledge and Visitor Fee: A Concept to Help Maui Address Over-tourism?” on Wednesday, September 1 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. Palau Legacy Project co-founder Jennifer Koskelin Gibbons and Project Management Coordinator at Friends of Palau National Marine Sanctuary, Adora Nobuo, will be the guest speakers for the next “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series,” which is hosted every month by the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. 

Reserve a spot at the free presentation by clicking here. 

The presenters will discuss the effects of over-tourism and ecotourism on marine life, share information about the Palau Pledge and environmental fee, how they work to support the Palau National Marine Sanctuary and the impacts they’ve seen, and future plans to further support the PNMS. 

In addition to being the co-founder of the internationally acclaimed and award winning Palau Pledge, Gibbons also directed and guided the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Campaign through to its successful outcome when the PNMS act was signed into law in 2015. 

Palau now has the largest percentage of protected marine territory in the world. It’s also the first nation on earth to change its immigration laws for the cause of environmental protection.

Gibbons has more than a decade of strategic marketing and project management experience in New York, Guam and Palau. Most recently Jennifer held the position of executive director of the Palau Chamber of Commerce where she spearheaded the first independent presidential debates and economic symposium to develop better collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Nobuo joined the Friends of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary and Palau Pledge team in 2019. Currently, she is working with businesses to make sustainable business practices a habit through a program soon to launch as the Palau Business Pledge.

She also works with in-school programs and speaks at community engagements to promote Palau Pledge that supports the PNMS and Palau’s conservation ethos. Adora’s work experience includes being at the Palau National Congress and working with the passage of the PNMS law, working as the Executive Director for the Palau Chamber of Commerce promoting the interests of the private businesses and as a Public Relations Manager and counselor at the Palau Community College.

The Palau National Marine Sanctuary went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, closing off 80 percent of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) most extractive activities like fishing. The remaining 20 percent of Palau’s EEZ is designated as a Domestic Fishing Zone that will support food security and bring more economic benefits to the people of Palau.

Protecting the cultural and natural resources of Palau includes managing tourism and educating visitors, implementing conservation projects, and paving a positive future for Palau children. About 543,412 pledges have been taken.

To learn more about the Palau Pledge, tune in to Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” on Sept. 1 via Zoom.

These monthly virtual events are supported by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.

The event’s emcee will be Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.

To reserve your spot at this free Zoom webinar, please visit bit.ly/PalauPledgeWebinar.