The Ministry of Agriculture, Quarantine, Forestry and Fisheries (MAQFF) is mandated to manage resources that are vital to the well-being of Vanuatu people and the economy. The structure of the Ministry is shown in Attachment 1. Government is mindful that where there are no sustainable management practices, resources are overexploited and much to the disadvantage of local communities and the environment. This is witnessed the world over and is becoming evident with some resources in the islands of Vanuatu.
New Caledonia is surrounded by a large and rich lagoon which is enclosed by a barrier reef over 1,000 km long. Exploitation of the living lagoon resources to meet local requirements for
fish and other seafood has not, up to now, greatly affected the overall bio-ecological balance of the lagoon environment because New Caledonia's population density is very low.
The sea area near the capital of Noumea, where over half of the
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are generally characterised by their relatively small land area in comparison to their large ocean space in their respective Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
In the South and North Pacific, SIDS account for a large percentage of ocean space, but very small land areas. The percentage of land/sea area was calculated for twenty North and
The following is a transcript and a report of lectures/training delivered In Tarawa, Kiribati on Guidelines for Monitoring and Evaluating Beach Erosion and Shoreline Dynamics. The
Fisheries in the Solomon Islands comprise two distinct sectors: the industrial sector which is predominantly off-shore and depends on the abundant tuna resources found in the country's
It is becoming clear that there is a fair amount of small plastic distributed in the oceans and on beaches worldwide, not surprising given its durability and floatability. Marine debris is often ingested by animals such as sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds. Items such as lighters and small plastic pieces may look like food to an animal, or have an animal's natural food attached to it. Debris may also be ingested accidentally with actual food items. Exactly how many of them die each year due to marine debris ingestion is not
known.
Available online
The plant site is very close to, and its land lease abuts the Tagabe River which is a major resource for the area and particularly the people living in Blacksands who have no municipal utility supply. The plant is located 800m upstream from the river mouth and therefore downstream from most of the high use areas. There are, however, some parts of the Blacksands community that use the river for washing between the plant and sea, and undergrounds wells are common in the area. There is a potential for impacts through contamination of the river or
The main purpose of SEM-Pasifika is to improve site management of the coastal and marine areas in the Pacific region. It should guide interested communities in the region (including communities who have used existing methods and new communities without experiences in socio-economic assessment), management and project staff, researchers, and other practitioners, to understand important steps involved in a socioeconomic assessment and to be able to conduct the monitoring.
"There is a window of opportunity for avoiding the most damaging climate change impacts, but that window is closing: the world has less than a decade to change course. Actions taken - or not taken -... will have a profound bearing on the future... The world lacks neither the financial resources nor the technological capabilities... What is missing is a sense of urgency, human solidarity and collective interest (2007/2008 Human Development Report).
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 126 p.
The overall aim of this study was to look at how human activities are impacting on the coastal zone in Timor-Leste, what type of management challenges arise from these
impacts, and what kind of management approach can help to address current and future problems in the coastal zone.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 88 p.
Healthy marine resources require healthy, intact ecosystems. Marine and coastal ecosystems are highly productive and deliver various goods and services that support communities and economies, including food security, clean water, recreational
opportunities and other benefits. Effective area-based protection, through MPAs, helps maintain ecosystem health and productivity, while safeguarding social and economic
More than 20 cetacean species are known to exist in the
Pacific Islands Region, which encompasses the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone, or EEZ (waters out to 370 km from shore) around
the entire Hawaiian Archipelago. Johnston Atoll. Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll. Baker and Howland Islands. Jarvis Island. American Samoa. Wake Island, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, totaling some 5.8 million km2 of ocean.
Many of the species present are poorly studied throughout their
Fishers have changed their methods from wading in the shallows to the use of sail and paddle canoes, and dinghies with outboard motors. This has resulted in greater coverage of the area where sea cucumbers live, more regular fishing, access to remote areas and the capacity to transport greater catches. Loss of much larger numbers of sea cucumbers from many areas as a result of this increased fishing pressure reduces the chances of adults remaining at densities high enough for effective reproduction.
Highlands Pacific Limited is currently seeking finance for the development of a Nickel-Cobalt mine in Madang Province. Papua New Guinea. The mine will be located near the Ramu River, with processing facilities at Basamuk Bay on the Rai Coast. Basainuk Bay is a small embayment of the larger Astrolabe Bay. Highlands Pacific plans to dispose of mill tailings through a submarine outfall into Astrolabe Bay. Oceanographic conditions in Astrolabe Bay make this practise inadvisable if consideration is given to the ecological health of the Madang region.
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Principles for designing marine protected area (MPA) networks that address social, economic, and biological criteria are well established in the scientific literature. Climate change represents a new and serious threat to marine ecosystems, but, to date, few studies have specifically considered how to design MPA networks to be resilient to this emerging threat. Here, we compile the best available information on MPA network design and
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the
furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Call Number: [EL]
One of the greatest challanges we face in protecting our islands biodiversity is how to balance the needs of the people that use it, and the future of the environment. There are many reasons why the Pacific islands way of life is endangered, it is
necessary to address these threats, all of them. Understand ing their causes will help to stop them, if it is possible or to change or adapt our way of life. It is necessary to focus on long term sustainability strategies, but in the mean time develop and carry out short term projects to address the immediate needs of our islands.
This guide provides essential information to better understand
the role of marine protected area networks to achieve marine
This research identifies ship-generated marine pollution in ports of nine Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs) and related risks while a ship is visiting a port and the
measures that could be put into place to prevent marine pollution from occurring. The ports are: Apia of Guam, Apia of Samoa, Honiara of the Solomon Islands. Majuro of the
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