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

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002
WHS
WHA – EAST RENNELL – SOLOMON ISLANDS
Rennell Island is located in a remote corner of the Southwest Pacific and is an area of
outstanding geological, biological and scenic value. It is the second largest uplifted
coral atoll in the world and contains Lake Tegano, the largest lake in the Pacific
islands. Rennell is largely undeveloped and the geology, flora and fauna are of
international interest. The Solomon Islands have a greater diversity of animal species
and higher degree of endemism than almost anywhere else in the Pacific. Another
particular value is that the endemic species on Rennell have escaped destruction
from invasive predators such as the ship rat and introduced predatory land snails,
that have caused major damage on other islands. Rennell occurs in the cyclone belt
and another remarkable feature of the island are the adaptations by all forms of life to
this recurring natural phenomenon.
The southeastern half of Rennell and all the coral reefs and sea out to 3 nautical miles
was selected as a World Heritage Area in 1998 (814km 2 ). Rennell is the island used
by zoologists to demonstrate Island Biogeography and on-going processes of
species evolution. This is evident in the large numbers of endemic bird species. The
vegetation shows adaptations to regular cyclones. These were major factors for
listing of East Rennell as a World Heritage area. The coral reefs are also an important
component and still in a very natural state. The reefs occupy 12 km 2 ; (1.5%) and the
rest of the sea (432 km 2 ; 53%) of the Word Heritage area. The coral communities on
the oceanic platform reef around the island reflect the high degree of wave exposure.
Most exist as wave-resistant massive, encrusting and digitate forms of coral. These
coral communities show no indication of human impact, and the fish populations are
rich in both diversity and abundance, reflecting low fishing pressure. The most
significant environmental change to Rennell has been the construction of a road in
1995, which runs from the airstrip and administration centre to the lake.
About 500 Polynesians live within the World Heritage Area and all the land, reefs and
lake are under customary ownership. The people live a largely subsistence lifestyle
and catch fish and shellfish for their immediate needs. There are no fish processing
plants nor freezers for storage. In the past, there was some lobster and sea cucumber
harvesting for export, but this had ceased by 1999. The Council of Chiefs were active
in the preparation of resource management guidelines based on traditional practices
but this was interrupted by the ethnic tension that developed in 2000. The 5 villages
at East Rennell have been working with the New Zealand and Solomon Islands
Governments as part of a bilateral aid programme to conserve the natural and
cultural heritage of their island, while developing sustainable income-generating
options. Family-based ecotourism, bee-keeping, poultry and sale of custom crafts are
some examples.
Ecological Monitoring: A rapid ecological assessment of the coral reefs, fishes,
shellfish and other reef resources of Rennell and the Indispensable Reefs were made
in 1995 by external NGOs. Unfortunately, this study acquired commercially valuable
information and was followed by the decimation of the clam and shark populations
on Indispensable Reefs. There has been no scientific monitoring since this initial
assessment, and any monitoring programme on Rennell by outside organisations
would likely be viewed with suspicion.
194