Hinano Teavai-Murphy, Ruth Mthembu, and Daniel Pauly are the first three keynote speakers to be named for the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) being held in Vancouver, Canada in February 2023.
The global marine protection community will gather at the Congress to chart a course towards achieving the ocean conservation targets for this decade. The organizers and hosts of IMPAC5 are assembling a diverse group of authoritative voices and perspectives on marine protection. They are innovators in their fields and builders of the international movement to create marine protected areas informed by science, Indigenous knowledge, and youth engagement. Keynote speakers will help to rally global efforts for marine protection and build on the momentum generated by the four previous IMPAC Congresses.
Each day of IMPAC5 will feature three keynote speakers on one of the five Congress themes:
- Building a global marine protected area network
- Managing marine protected areas and human activity
- Conserving biodiversity and addressing the climate crisis
- Advancing conservation in the blue economy
- Connecting ocean, culture and human well-being
Three cross-cutting streams will be woven throughout all elements of IMPAC5:
- Indigenous peoples leadership
- The voices of young professionals
- Innovation and transformational change
Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers are invited from around the globe, bringing to life the Congress themes and streams, to inspire the delegates and dialogues of the Congress.
Ruth Mthembu uses her passion and understanding of law and communications to make a positive contribution to ocean conservation. She is an outgoing member of the ever-growing “Youth for MPAs”, a movement of over 400 youth on a mission to save South Africa’s oceans. Her love for the environment has seen her co-lead ocean advocacy campaigns that aim to drive policy change in South Africa. Her ever-growing love for communication has now found its place at Mr Price Group Limited, a leading South African retailer, where she currently holds the position of Internal Communications Specialist. Her role has her focusing on strategically communicating to a team of over 20, 000 people. Ruth is also a member of the IMPAC5 Young Professional Committee where she is focused on developing an intergenerational mentoring program for IMPAC5 participants. Ruth will be presenting on the theme of building a global marine protected areas network.
Dr. Daniel Pauly is a world-renowned fisheries scientist and serves on the board of directors of Oceana. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the Sea Around Us initiative, a large research project devoted to identifying and quantifying global fisheries trends. He is also a Killam professor at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. The concepts, methods and software which Daniel Pauly led and co-developed are referenced in over 1000 scientific and general-interest publications, and are used throughout the world. Daniel Pauly will be presenting on the theme of managing marine protected areas and human activity.
Hinano Teavai-Murphy is a widely-recognized expert in Tahitian cultural history. She grew up on Moorea and Tahiti learning oral traditions from her elders. She has served as a technical advisor to the government, developing Tahitian language/culture programs for the schools. As president of the cultural organization Te Pu Atitia, she founded the Atitia Cultural Center on Moorea. Presently, Hinano serves as the Cultural Director for Tetiaroa Society and heads the Cultural Committee that advises on all cultural matters in Tetiaroa. Hinano has lectured around the world on traditional Polynesian knowledge and its intersection with science, conservation, and environmental philosophy. At IMPAC5, she will be presenting on the theme of ocean, culture and human well-being.
As well as the opening keynotes, each day of IMPAC5 will feature dozens of peer-reviewed presenters chosen to address the themes and cross cutting streams woven throughout IMPAC5. More information on keynote speakers and the program can be found at www.impac5.ca/congress-details. Additional keynote speakers will be announced in the coming weeks as IMPAC5 prepares to welcome the global marine community to Vancouver in February 2023.
Register today and don’t miss your chance to engage with emerging experts and ocean professionals as we chart a course to achieving ocean conservation targets.
