Paulina Quintao – The Secretariat of State for the Environment (SEMA) has conducted a workshop with stakeholders to review Timor-Leste's five-year biodiversity plan.
Secretariat of State for Environment general director Joao Carlos Soares said the new structure of the secretariat necessitated a review of the plan. "We are not able to properly patrol the forest because we have only three or four rangers," he said.
He said the workshop was an important step in improving co-ordination with stakeholders in order to protect maritime resources such as fish and reefs as well as land animals.
Hasatil organization co-ordinator Gil Oracio Boavida said the meeting collected ideas from everyone present on how to best manage and protect resources.
He said SEMA had done great work in conserving resources but progress needed to be evaluated to address challenges in the future.