Protected Areas Working Group (PAWG), Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation

Large Marine Ecosystems - Status and Trends

Global calls for greater ocean protection have sparked renewed interest in very large marine protected areas (VLMPAs, >100,000 km2) to achieve management targets; however, their conservation value is debated.

We present an initial exploration of why and how participation in a case of community-based resource management (CBRM) in a Pacific context could be considered a deviation from gender norms.

INEA has featured many articles covering the dilemmas, puzzles, and tensions related to global biodiversity governance; this coverage was infrequent in earlier issues but has steadily increased as both environmental diplomacy and international law on biodiversity conservation and environmental ju

There is a widespread perception that illegal fishing is common in marine protected areas (MPAs) due to strong incentives for poaching and the high cost of monitoring and enforcement.

Even optimistic climate scenarios predict catastrophic consequences for coral reef ecosystems by 2100. Understanding how reef connectivity, biodiversity and resilience are shaped by climate variability would improve chances to establish sustainable management practices.

Forests are host to most of Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. The conservation of the world’s biodiversity is thus utterly dependent on the way in which we interact with and use the world’s forests.

Biodiversity is suffering dramatic declines across the globe, threatening the ability of ecosystems to provide the services on which humanity depends. Mainstreaming biodiversity into the plans, strategies and policies of different economic sectors is key to reversing these declines.

This publication has been developed as a contribution to Phase II of the Two-phase Strategy on Protected Areas of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and prepared pursuant to various paragraphs of COP decision XIII/2 on protected areas, in particular paragraph 5(a-e),

There has been a profound shift in attitudes towards the designation and management of site-based  conservation over the past 25 years, from being a predominantly science-based, top-down and  government-led approach to one that focuses on governance and equity, and is far more variable,

Lubchenco, Jane, and Kirsten Grorud-Colvert.  2015.  Making waves: The science and politics of ocean protection. Science Vol.

The management plan describes the priority strategies for the Ijuw/Anabar wetlands Proposed Conservation area (PCA) that will best maintain and improve the key conservation values in this area by reducing the impact of threats, including from climate change.

The management plan describes the priority strategies for the upland areas of the Lake Lanoto'o National Park that will nest maintain and improve the key conservation values in these areas by reducing the impact of threats including from climate change. 

The management plan describes the priority strategies for the upland areas of the Lake Lanuto'o National Park that will best maintain and improve the key conservation values in these areas by reducing the impact of threats, including from climate change.

Mapping Multilateral Environmental Agreements to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Technical report:

It is essential to ensure the effectiveness of current conservation efforts to meet the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and climate change.

Meeting global commitments to conservation, climate, and sustainable development requires consideration of synergies and tradeoffs among targets.

In June, 2015 the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution calling for the development of an international legally-binding

While the ocean covers more than two thirds of the Earth’s surface, the oceanic territory of Kiribati is morethan 4,000 times larger than its land territory. With an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 3.55 million km2,Kiribati is a large ocean state.

While the ocean covers more than two thirds of the Earth’s surface, the oceanic territory of Tonga is over 1,000 timeslarger than its land territory. With an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 700,000 km2, Tonga is a large ocean state.

Marine spatial planning is underway now, or starting, in many Pacific Island countries, including Fiji.

Marine spatial planning is underway now, or starting, in many Pacific Island countries, including the Solomon Islands.

Marine spatial planning is underway now, or starting, in many Pacific Island countries, including Tonga.

In 2014, the Council of Ministers (Decision No. 172/2014) decided to start implementation of, amongst other things, a Marine Spatial Plan for the nation.

This summary provides resorts, tourism operators, and policy makers with an introduction to marine conservation agreements (MCA) and outlines a process for planning and implementing an MCA in Fiji.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) that effectively protect critical habitats, species and ecological functions are an essential tool for recovering, protecting and enhancing biodiversity, productivity and resilience, and for securing these benefits for current and future generations.

Oonzaier, L. B. and D. Pauly. 2016.  Marine protection targets: an updated assessment of global progress. Oryx 50(1), 27–35.

Marine spatial planning (MSP), initially developed to address the needs of the global North, is gaining significant traction in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and is hailed as a collaborative governance instrument for managing and optimizing the allocation of ocean space.

The marine turtle states review for Solomon Islands 2022 was commissioned to inform the development of the country's 5-year National plan of Action (NPOA) - Marine Turtles 2022-2026.

Formal and semi-formal networks are emerging as effective, collaborative, and adaptable approaches for addressing complex, rapidly evolving ocean governance issues.

The purpose of this Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) is to Assist the Marshall Islands to Plan for the Conservation of its biodiversity and for in the sustainable use of its biological resources.

Marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly large MPAs, are increasing in number and size around the globe in part to facilitate the conservation of marine megafauna under the assumption that large-scale MPAs better align with vagile life histories; however, this alignment is not well established

“If you can imagine walking into a huge, 1,000-kilometer square [386-square-mile] tropical forest … it’s moist and damp [with] rich soil and an overstory. You imagine walking into a 10-meter [33-foot] patch of forest and it’s just a totally different thing.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential for conserving marine biodiversity, ensuring sustainable fisheries, and maintaining the health of ocean ecosystems.

Most of the marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world, estimated to number about 5000, have been established both on an ad hoc basis and through systematic planning processes. The

United National Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2008. National and Regional Networks of Marine Protected Areas: A Review of Progress. Cambridge, U.K.

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)

Papua New Guinea is committed to the establishment of a network of marine protected areas to fulfill national and international commitments.

Community-based approaches to conservation and natural resource management are considered essential to meeting global conservation targets.

Natural and mixed World Heritage (WH) has generally not been a success in the Oceania region, due to limited support at all levels, unrealistic expectations about what WH can and cannot deliver, and a lack of resources to support all aspects of the WH process, particularly WH site management.

This briefing provides an overview of the interlinkages between the financial sector, nature and Indigenous Peoples.

The findings of this BIORAP survey have identified or re-confirmed the critical importance of the biodiversity and ecosystems of Nauru's terrestrial and marine environments and the urgent need for follow-up activities to manage and mitigate threats for their conservation.

Comprehensive, global, and standardized data on ocean regulations are essential to assess protection levels. They are also key to successfully measuring progress towards 30 × 30 goals.

The Pacific region has witnessed some of humanity's greatest achievements. It is a vibrant tapestry of diverse cultures and languages and holds immense global significance for its biodiversity and geodiversity. Despite this, it remains very poorly represented on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

O Le Pupu-Pu'e National Park was the first Park established in Samoa at a time when the environment movement and concerns for our unique biodiversity and natural features was still only a passing thought.

Toropova, C., Meliane, I., Laffoley, D., Matthews, E. and Spalding, M.

In an age of dramatic environmental and ecological challenges, the dynamics of sovereignty associated with the conservation of natural resources in Oceania are in flux.

Many people are familiar with the idea of a protected area—land or water areas set aside and kept as natural as possible, such as national parks and nature reserves. Protected areas are one of the most well-established conservation tools, playing a crucial role in protecting biodiversity.

Biologically, New Ireland has remained one of the least studied regions of Papua New Guinea (PNG), and the mountainous southern zone has been considered both a high priority for biodiversity conservation and a major “scientific unknown” (Beehler 1993).