The exclusive economic zone of Tonga, nearly 700,000 km2 of ocean, is 1000 times larger than the country’s land area. Coastal and marine resources provide the Government of Tonga, businesses and households many real and measurable benefits. Without a doubt, the country’s largest stock of natural wealth lies within the sea. The role that natural ecosystems, especially marine ecosystems, play in human wellbeing is often overlooked or taken for granted. The benefits humans receive from ecosystems, called ecosystem services1, are often hidden because markets do not directly reveal their value — nature provides these benefits for free. Failure to recognise the role that marine ecosystems play in supporting livelihoods, economic activity, and human wellbeing has, in many instances, led to inequitable and unsustainable marine resource management decisions.
