#Status of Coral Reefs 2002 - International Coral Reef Action Network

10. STATUS OF CORAL REEFS IN THE SOUTHWEST
PACIFIC TO 2002: FIJI, NAURU, NEW CALEDONIA,
SAMOA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, TUVALU AND VANUATU
REUBEN SULU, ROBYN CUMMING, LAURENT WANTIEZ,
LYNETTE KUMAR, ANTONIO MULIPOLA, MALWINE LOBER,
SAMASONI SAUNI, T. POULASI AND KALO PAKOA
ABSTRACT
The coral reefs of these 7 countries continue to degrade as a result of human pressures,
with a new threat emerging in 2000 and 2002. Coral bleaching and mortality was not a
problem during the major global bleaching event of 1997-98, but there have been severe
bleaching episodes since then, particularly in Fiji, and to a lesser extent in Tuvalu and
Vanuatu. Bleaching mortality now ranks as probably the major threat to the reefs in this
region, along with over-exploitation of reef fisheries. On the brighter side, there have been
expansions of coral reef monitoring activities and capacity within the GCRMN and Reef
Check frameworks. Similarly, many local and international NGOs have assisted
communities to establish their own MPAs to monitor and conserve their coral reef
resources. This is strongest in Samoa and Fiji, with some encouraging initiatives in
Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Coral health and fish populations are now increasing in some
of these MPAs. Ethnic tension in the Solomon Islands has meant an almost total
breakdown in government conservation activities, and the immediate prospects for
conservation are not encouraging.
INTRODUCTION
The Southwest Pacific Node is now coordinated by the Institute of Marine Resources
(IMR), University of the South Pacific and consists of: Fiji, Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The node was previously coordinated by the
International Ocean Institute – Pacific Islands.
The IMR-Southwest Pacific node has over 2,100 islands, islets and cays with combined
Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of over 6.5 million km 2 , but the land area is only
81,000 km 2 (1.2%). There are 3 cultural groups consisting of Melanesia (Fiji, New
Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu), Polynesia (Samoa and Tuvalu) and Micronesia
(Nauru), with an estimated population of about 1.8 million.
Abundant and diverse reef types exist within the Node. Narrow fringing reefs border most
high island shorelines and are frequently separated from the shore by a shallow channel.
Much wider barrier reefs are separated from the shore by deep lagoons up to 70 m deep in
Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The Great Sea Reef of Fiji is 370km
long and one of the largest reefs in the South Pacific. Double barrier reefs are rare and
occur only in the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia, where there is a reef lagoon area of
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