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Mangrove species are uniquely adapted to tropical and subtropical coasts, and although relatively low in number of species, mangrove forests provide at least US $1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services and support coastal livelihoods worldwide. Globally, mangrove areas are declining rapidly as they are cleared for coastal development and aquaculture and logged for timber and fuel production. Little is known about the effects of mangrove area loss on individual mangrove species and local or regional populations. To address this gap, species-specific information on global distribution, population status, life history traits, and major threats were compiled for each of the 70 known species of mangroves. Each species’ probability of extinction was assessed under the Categories and Criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Eleven of the 70 mangrove species (16%) are at elevated threat of extinction. Particular areas of geographical concern include the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central America, where as many as 40% of mangroves species present are threatened with extinction. Across the globe, mangrove species found primarily in the high intertidal and upstream estuarine zones, which often have specific freshwater requirements and patchy distributions, are the most threatened because they are often the first cleared for development of aquaculture and agriculture. The loss of mangrove species will have devastating economic and environmental consequences for coastal communities, especially in those areas with low mangrove diversity and high mangrove area or species loss. Several species at high risk of extinction may disappear well before the next decade if existing protective measures are not enforced.

As environmental problems continue to increase at an ever more rapid rate, exacerbated by the major threat of global climate change, the need for widespread remedial action is becoming ever more pressing. Scientific consensus on both the root causes of these problems and the measures required to tackle them is growing, while mass media and public interest has reached fever pitch. Of course, while this has put pressure on decisionmakers to take positive action, the realisation of the gravity and extent of the environmental problems has encouraged all those concerned about the state of our world to search for partners around it: one such significant partnership to e­merge in recent years is between those concerned with the conservation of nature –and of its biodiversity– and the custodians of sacred sites, representing both indigenous beliefs and mainstream faiths.

Fakarava is part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia, which is the second largest atoll in this geographical area. The atoll includes a lagoon that is 60 kilometres long and 25 kilometres wide. The crown reef stands in the perimeter, but only the north-east and the south-east part is emerged. The rest of the periphery is only a slightly immerged coral plate, leaving the ocean in contact with the lagoon by many hoa1 . The atoll consists of two passes2 . The first one, Garuae, in the northwest, is located relatively close to the main village Rotoava. The Tumakohua pass, in the south, is much smaller, and is located near the old village of Tetamanu, that housed the atoll’s first inhabitants. Inhabited by about 600 people in 2007, the atoll is considered by the Polynesians as an authentic and natural destination, which is representative of the traditional paumotu3 culture. Spared from mass tourism, the local population managed to preserve the environment by using it in a sustainable and conscientious way. As a logical consequence of this exemplary behaviour, international consecration followed, in particular when the atoll was declared as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in November 2006.

CONSERVATION SERVING COMMUNITIES in a rapidly changing world

The World Heritage Convention is one of the five global multilateral environmental agreements (the others being the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and the Convention on Migratory Species). The World Heritage Convention focuses on conservation of outstanding natural and cultural heritage by recognizing the world's best heritage areas on the World Heritage List, as well as by encouraging heritage conservation at the national level. Only States Parties on the Convention can nominate sites to the World Heritage List. Natural sites normally need to be National Parks or otherwise legally- protected and managed areas. The concept of customary or traditional management is also starting to gain acceptance with the Convention as a recognized protection mechanism.

The terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems of the Fiji Islands support a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, including many endemic species. These diverse ecosystems play a vital role in meeting basic human needs, supporting sustainable livelihoods and contributing to national development. Rural communities in Fiji are highly reliant on natural resources, especially coastal fisheries, and are vulnerable to ecosystem degradation, natural disasters and climate change.

The three days Marine Turtle Conservation Workshop in the region reflected an achievement as a successful outcome from the objective of the Turtle Conservation Project in Tuvalu, Fiji and Vanuatu implemented and coordinated by the Institute of Marine Resources (IMR) under the University of the South Pacific (USP). Fellow representatives are from various non government organisation, local community, tourist industry, government officials, SPREP staffs and regional representatives including Samoa, Tuvalu, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands. Altogether, 31 participants attended the workshop. Presentations were conclusively conducted by Dr. Ian Bell (Marine Biologist) assisted by Dr. Ken MacKay (IMR), Aisake Batibasaga (Dept. Fisheries), Alan Resture (IMR) and Lui Bell (SPREP). Participants were basically trained on appropriate scientific research methods on Turtle Conservation, these includes, identifying turtle species, identifying turtle tracks, identifying turtle nesting and feeding grounds, turtle tagging and collating and recording datas. The formulation of the network between representatives would allow information dissemination, increasing in capacity building and education and awareness on turtle conservation at national and regional level. However, SPREP installed the Turtle Research and Monitoring Database System to centralise and secure collated datas and reports on Turtle Research in the region. Conclusively, increasing in efforts, cooperation, networking, management and support on conserving marine turtles will contribute to the rehabilitation and restoring the lost population of the endangered sea turtles in the Pacific.

The European Union has established a Programme for Water Governance (PfWG), for three regions, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. A successful Pacific region submission in 2002 by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) proposed three pilot studies in Fiji Islands, Kiribati, and the Solomon Islands for water governance at different scales: national, major utility and local village, island or catchment based. Increasing demographic trends, hydrogeology, climatic variation and change, urbanisation and the impacts of human activities all combine to impose significant risks to water resources in small island nations. The challenges faced in the water and sanitation sector in small island states are amongst the most difficult in the world. They require a strategic, coordinated whole-of-government approach, in partnership with island communities, that incorporates the existing expertise and experience throughout the government and community sectors and which represents the hopes and needs of communities for adequate water and sanitation.

This brief presents a review of lessons learned and good practices in developing management plans within the context of community based resource management (CBRM) in Solomon Islands. The lessons are based on work done by the WorldFish Center, the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI) and the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. The document is intended to complement other initiatives in the country and through the Solomon Islands Locally Managed Marine Area Network add to lessons learned by other organizations in order to help the people and the government of the Solomon Islands meet their marine resource management goals.