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