In common with other Pacific Island countries, the Government of Vanuatu has pursued a policy of developing small scale artisanal fisheries to improve the supply of fresh fish and to provide
Coral reef is a rich but fragile ecosystem. It is very important to the marine biodiversity as well as to the global economy. Coral reefs rival that of the great communities such as the tropical rain forest in terms of richness, beauty, complexity and diversity. It provides habitats, feeding and breeding grounds of many marine lives including some important commercial species. Coral reefs contribute to the rural and national economy, nutrition, shoreline protection and more importantly the self- reliance of the people, particularly the coastal communities.
Community fisheries management (CFM) has been introduced in fisheries management in Vanuatu almost over a decade ago. Today, most of Vanuatu's coastal zone fisheries are managed under CFM system. However, it appears that the current CFM is inefficient, weak and unsustainable. In this study, the actual form of CFM in Vanuatu is described and compared to the Amason design principles for an efficient CFM. According to Arnason approach, CFM is a form of property rights regime. It was found that Arnason design principles existed to some certain degree in CFM in Vanuatu.
Vanuatu's involvement in trochus research commenced in the early 1990s and its in involvement in the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) trochus funded project spanned over 10 years. This encompassed 3 phases of the
ACIAR trochus funded research project, with phase 1 of the project involving nutritional aspect of trochus, phase 2 concentrated on hatchery seed production and reef reseeding and the final phase concentrated on broodstock enhancement using a
community-based management approach.
Available online|Including Bislama Version)
The Vanuatu Environment Unit is undertaking a capacity building add-on to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Planning Project. One priority within this work has been to assess capacity to conduct research, assessment and monitoring of biological resources and their ecosystems to which they are part of. An inventory of recent and current research, assessment and monitoring programmes have just recently been done by the project. A report is currently in preparation following this stock take.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
The Vanuatu Coral Reef Monitoring Network Project (VCRMN) is a regional network funded under the Canada South Pacific Ocean Development (CSPOD) programme coordinated by the University
of the South Pacific's Institute of Marine Studies at the School of Marine studies Programme (MSP) in Suva Fiji. Under the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, the Pacific Node is divided into
Vanuatu is an archipelago of 80 volcanic islands in the Western Pacific ocean with a population of 192,000, the majority of which are Melanesian. Approximately 79% of the population live in the rural areas, and depending on subsistence lifestyle of gardening, fishing and animal keeping. The islands are geologically young with narrow fringing reefs that support a limited marine and fisheries resources. These marine resources are important source of protein and a source of income from local sale of products such as fish, crabs, shellfish and lobsters. Trochus shell (T.
The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago of some 83 islands in the southwest Pacific with a population of 221,000 predominantly Melanesian people with over 110 different cultural-linguistic groups. It remains a UN LDC with a per-capita GDP of US $1500 that lias been increasing 5-7% per annum over the last 3
Much of the marine related traditional knowledge held by fishers in Vanuatu relates to increasing catches while managing resources of cultural, social and subsistence value. Traditional beliefs and practices associated with fisheries and their management follow natural cycles of resource abundance, accessibility, and respect for customary rules enshrined in oral traditions. Many management related rules that control fishers' behaviours are associated with the fabrication and deployment of traditional fishing gear.
In 1993 a study of coastal villages in Vanuatu revealed that within the previous three years there had been a rapid increase in marine resource management (MRM) activities. The initial impetus for these events was the Vanuatu Fisheries Department's promotion of a voluntary, village-based trochus management programme. Initially the programme involved only a few fishing villages out of a total of several hundred.
The Vanuatu Government, through the Vanuatu Environment Unit in collaboration with relevant departments, has implemented this UNEP/GEF funded project on National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) Project, which started in Vanuatu in December 2004. The main objective of the NCSA project is to enhance the capacity of Vanuatu in addressing global environment management issues, particular in the thematic areas of Biodiversity, Climate Change and Land Degradation, each being addressed within its respective international convention.
Available online
This report provides an overview of priority environmental concerns (PEC) in the 3 IWP focal areas of sustainable coastal fisheries and marine protected areas, protection of freshwater resources and community based waste reduction.
Samoa, a small islands country in the south pacific comprises of four main inhabitated islands and 6 smaller uninhabitated islands. The islands of Samoa lie between latitudes of 13° 15°S to and longitudes of 168° -173° W. The total land area is estimated to be around 2820 km2 whereby Upolu holds 1115 km2 and Savaii with 1700 km2. The capital Apia is located on the northern part of Upolu and is approximately 130 km from Pago Pago, American Samoa, 3000 km from Auckland, New Zealand, 4500 km from Sydney Australia, and 4300 km from Honolulu, Hawaii.
Mangroves are trees that live halfway between land and sea. This is what makes them special; as for most plants salt water is deadly. Mangroves are among the few trees that can grow in seawater and in places where the seawater mixes with the fresh water from the land.
In Samoa, most of the mangroves grow in areas protected by coral reefs. They are found in coastal areas, especially in river estuaries - the wide lower part of a river's lower end
where it meets the sea.
Available online
Call Number: 375.00830095 FAA [EL]
As part of the Second National Communication Project, Samoa is currently preparing its second inventory of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This inventory will be prepared in line with the
2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, and will estimate emissions from the four sectors of: 1) Energy. 2) Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU). 3) Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use. and 4) Waste. It is anticipated that the inventory will cover annual GHG emissions for the years 2000 - 2005 inclusive, depending on the availability of data.
Samoa's National Environmental Capacity Strategy (NECS) is drawn on the assessment and analysis of priority thematic and cross-cutting capacity needs. These needs have identified priority actions for capacity development and opportunities to promote synergies across the 3 Conventions which are highlighted as project profiles in the NECS. Strategies to implement these
project profiles including means of monitoring and evaluation of outcomes are also highlighted in the NECS.
Available online
Call Number: 333.72 MIN [EL]
Samoa, like other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) inherits high vulnerability to natural disasters and to external economic and trade developments for which it has no control. These natural disasters include tropical cyclones, prolonged periods of drought, extreme flooding, pests and sudden outbreak of diseases, storm surges and sea level rise.
Available online
Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 39 p.
In 2001, the Government of Samoa released the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for the conservation and sustainable development of the country's biological resources. The NBSAP identifies invasive alien species (IAS) as being one of the greatest threats to Samoa's
biodiversity. The National Invasive Alien Species Implementation Action Plan (NIASIAP) addresses this threat, building on the actions identified in 'Theme 6 - Biosecurity' of the NBSAP,
as well as elements of Themes 1, 2, 3 and 7, and pursuing the following objective:
Recent studies have shown that the Cook Islands' social infrastructure has limited preparedness against weather-related vulnerability. The inherent geographical vulnerability of the country to climate change can be ameliorated by initiating
integrated infrastructure and social development, including human resources development.
Available online|1 copy
Call Number: [EL},333.79 STR
Physical Description: 731 p
The corals reefs of Australia and Papua New Guinea cover 19% of the world's total reef area and contain levels of biological diversity approaching the 'hot spots' of the Philippines and Indonesia;
Human pressures on these reefs are lower than in other parts of the world (particularly SE Asia). The reefs of eastern Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), have a long history of research and monitoring and world leading management;