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

Status of Coral Reefs in the Southwest Pacific
To set up a monitoring program, someone trusted by the Council of Chiefs would
need to explain to them why it was needed. The Chiefs would then select young
people from each clan to be trained and the information acquired would belong to
each clan. It is important to realise that this process would develop at their speed and
the time between monitoring exercises would be decided by the Council of Chiefs.
Socio-Economic Monitoring: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) surveys have been
conducted at most of the villages, with the emphasis on assessing the subsistence
and cash lifestyle. Cash derived from fishing and reef resources has been very
important to the economy in the past, but there are no marine-based industries at
present.
Monitoring Effectiveness: Management is based on traditional knowledge and data
gathering, not on formal processes of scientific monitoring.
Coral Reefs (and associated lagoons) are 10% of the natural resources.
Ecological Monitoring: occasional (no long-term monitoring is planned).
Socio-Economic Monitoring: occasional (required as part of the New Zealand and
Solomon Island bilateral aid programme).
Vanuatu
There are still extensive traditional conservation practices that manage a network of
customary marine tenure protected areas. These are recognised by the government and
an Environmental Resource Management Bill (1999) seeks to establish Community
Conservation Areas. National conservation efforts continue through both government
initiatives and indigenous management systems. New draft laws pertinent to reefs are:
Water Resources Act; Public Health Act, Fisheries Amendment Bill; and the
Environment and Resources Management Bill. Some tourist resorts are establishing
recreational marine reserves and communities are imposing traditional ‘taboo’
measures to conserve green snail and trochus (Anelgauhat reef-Aneityum Island, Wiawi
-Northwest Malekula) and giant clams on Maskelynes. Two new national MPAs are
proposed: Mistry Island Marine Reserve on Aneityum; and the Hat Island
Archaeological Reserve on Efate. There are other initiatives in progress: a formal
fisheries policy plan; strengthening coral reef monitoring activities; education and
awareness; assisting private sector development in aquaculture; and strengthening comanagement
with traditional resource owners for MPAs.
MONITORING AND GAPS IN REEF MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT
All countries prepared monitoring programs in September 2001 with support from the
Canadian Government, but a lack of expertise and funding was identified. Coral reef
monitoring capacity varies from virtually none in Nauru, Solomon Islands and
Vanuatu, to some in Samoa and Tuvalu, and reasonably strong capacity in Fiji and New
Caledonia. There has been regular training in GCRMN and Reef Check level monitoring
over the last 6 years, but rarely is the training followed by in-country monitoring
activities and many of the trained people have moved to other government positions.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Fiji dive industry maintain the
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