Blue Prosperity Vanuatu (BPV), in partnership with the Department of Oceans and Maritime Affairs, has conducted the first awareness campaign on the newly passed Vanuatu Oceans Act. The event was held at the Chiefs’ Nakamal with members of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs.
Acting Director of the Department of Oceans and Maritime Affairs, Tony Tevi, said the Oceans Act was passed by Parliament in November last year and has now come into force. He explained that work on the legislation began about a decade ago, driven by concerns over sea boundaries and the need for stronger legal protection of Vanuatu’s marine resources.
Tevi said the campaign is designed to brief chiefs on their responsibilities under the law, with a focus on provisions that allow traditional leaders to take part in ocean governance. Before 1980, chiefs managed the sea under custom, but government involvement increased over time. The new Act returns key powers to chiefs, enabling them to play an active role in the sustainable management of marine resources.
