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Melanesia and Polynesia have seen an impressive increase in the number of marine protected areas over the last decade almost entirely due to the implementation or recognition of Community Conserved Areas based on regional assets in the form of traditional tenure and governance mechanisms. The same time period has seen the virtual demise of any other form of marine protected area in the independent countries of the South Pacific. CCAs account for over 500 sites covering over 12,000 km2 of which more than 1,000 km2 is no-take.