TETEPARE Island in Western province is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific and is covered in lowland rainforest and surrounded by coral reefs. It is a global conservation icon. Since 2002, the Tetepare Descendant’s Association (TDA) has managed Tetepare collectively for all 3500+ registered landowners.
TDA members are rewarded for their conservation efforts through benefits such as educational scholarships and employment. TDA members have received benefits for more than two decades but a recent surge in activity has seen these benefits rise to record levels.
One way that TDA members benefit is from eco-tourism rather than logging, as guests come from all over the world to witness Tetepare’s pristine rainforest, fringing coral reefs and endangered species. Funds from the ecolodge support conservation programs including ranger patrols and fuel. A 6 km long Marine Protected Area is also protected. TDA Ecolodge Manager Mary Bea said, “We have been doing lots of work to improve the safety and function of our buildings that declined during the Covid years when we had no tourists”.
