Solomon Islands: Representing the Coral Triangle

1. Solomon Islands: Representing the Coral Triangle Sara Martin QEDHS – December 11th

2. The Coral Triangle

3. What is the Coral Triangle? • Marine area including waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Solomon Islands. • Named because greatest amount of corals in this area (600 different coral species in some places) • Called ‘the Nursery of the Seas’ because of incredibly high marine biodiversity (highest in the world)

4. Coral Triangle Values • Rich and diverse coral reefs • 2000 species of reef fish • 6 of 7 marine turtle species • Whales, sharks, rays, dugongs, dolphins • Mangrove, seaweed, seagrass • 120 million people • Highly productive tuna fishery (fuels a multi-billion dollar global tuna industry) • Nature–based tourism industry valued at over US$12 billion annually

5. Coral Triangle Threats • Economic development and population growth • Unsustainable harvest (overharvest) of marine resources • Destructive fishing practices • Problematic land-based activities • Coastal development • Destruction of reef and mangrove habitat • Climate Change • Deterioration of reef health • Sea level rise • Shift in species distribution and abundance

6. ...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH0ma3wNYy4

7. World Wildlife Fund in the Coral Triangle

8. World Wildlife Fund • The Coral Triangle = WWF Priority Place • WWF working with people to help maintain food security and livelihoods through marine conservation: • Building sustainable fisheries • Preparing for climate change • Creating protected areas • Alternate livelihoods • Protecting marine turtles • Reducing bycatch

9. WWF in Coral Triangle • There are WWF offices in all 6 coral triangle countries • WWF Solomon Islands • Field office in Gizo (5 local staff) • Admin office in Honiara (1 local staff)

10. Where are the Solomon Islands? SI = 1000+ islands Pop. = approx. 600 000

11. ...a closer look Red circle = Ghizo Island, Western Province

12. WWF in Solomon Islands • Ghizo Island = current integration site (focus area) for WWF projects • Marine conservation, sustainable livelihoods, capacity building (communities and gov’t) • Mangrove, fish, coral reef, turtles, protected areas, alternate livelihoods • Overall goal = Maintaining food security and livelihoods of Solomon Islanders

13. Work Photos2 days/month (new moon) Tingo and some local dive boys monitor fish at two fish spawning aggregation sites.

14. Communities on Nusatuva Island are working together to set up marine protected areas (MPAs) and to do coral farming. Illitona – small community on Nusatuva Island. Growing corals

15. Protected Areas Act (2010) Education and Awareness night for Nusatuva communities.

16. Meeting with Nusatuva MPA Management Committee. Developing their MPA management plan required many community visits.

17. A bamboo rafter designed to attract pelagic fish, allowing people to still catch fish for food and cash needs while reducing fishing pressure on reefs Inshore Fish Aggregating Device (IFAD)

18. Images of Koqulavata Bay. Residents of the Bay are working to establish the Bay as a protected area.

19. ...where we meet with MPA management committee to discuss management of their resources Kogulavata Bay office...

20. Mangrove conservation.With help from WWF, community of Hunda has built and maintains a mangrove nursery which houses roughly 3000 seedlings. Coastal areas are replanted with seedlings once they are big enough.

21. Marine Conservation in the Coral Triangle Websites for more information: http://www.coraltriangleinitiative.org/ http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/coraltriangle/ http://worldwildlife.org/places/coral-triangle http://www.conservation.org/global/marine/initiatives/oceanscapes/cti/pages/overview.aspx http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/coraltriangle/overview/coral-triangle-initiative.xml

22. Life on Ghizo Island Gizo market = fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, crab, shells, seaweed, nuts, flowers, traditional foods, baked goods.

48. Diving the Tao Maru wreck. - Japanese supply ship from WWII