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Knowledge of the fishermen of Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati concerning some key food fish in their waters is described and shown to be highly relevant to the management of these fish. The bonefish, AZbula glossodonta, has been the most important shallowwater finfish in Tarawa catches. However, all but one of its known spawning runs has been eliminated according to fishermen and this last remaining run is showing signs of severe depletion. Traditional marine resources management measures, some conservation-driven and others with different objectives, were diverse. But they have largely disappeared due, in part at least, to the impacts of British colonial rule. Reestablishing some form of local marine tenure seems essential to sound marine resource management, although the difficulties that would be encountered in doing so are not trivial.

Aluminium cans are one material in the waste stream where recycling is clearly viable. Recycling of aluminium cans produces significant savings in energy and resource costs. Cans are simple to crush and bale, making transport of this material affordable. For these reasons, aluminium cans generally have high return rates in places with established recycling systems, as well as in places where the recycling sector is informal.

Wallis and Futuna Islands make up one of the three French overseas territories in the Pacific. They are located 2000 km north of New Caledonia and 3500 km northwest of Tahiti. The territory comprises two distinct archipelagoes situated 240 km apart: the Wallis Islands and the Horn Archipelago composed of Futuna and Alofi. The Wallis Islands are made up of the main island Uvea and 19 islets scattered throughout a lagoon which is 24 km long and 15 km wide. Futuna is high island without a lagoon and with a few areas of cliffs, surrounded by a fringing reef of varying width. Separated from Futuna by a channel of 1800 m width, Alofi is a high volcanic island surrounded by a variably developed fringing reef. The surface area of land is small (215 km2) and coral reefs occupy about 300 km2 ; immerged reefs are found to the north of Wallis Island. The Exclusive Economic Zone of the territory covers 300,000 km2.

This guide presents a framework that identifies nine essential elements that field practitioners have found useful to consider in their work. Think of these elements as "stepping stones" along a path. The path begins with a natural resouijce or conservation problem or issue you have identified and takes steps toward a socially and ecologically sustainable solution to the problem.

Life in the sea is diverse, exciting, good to eat and provides a myriad of services to humanity, many of which we barely even comprehend. However, human activities now pose serious threats to the oceans’ biodiversity and their capacity to support productive fisheries, recreation, water purification and other services we take for granted. These threats come at a time when we still know little about the life that exists in the sea. Even species we have been catching and eating for hundreds of years such as cod, tuna or halibut, have unknown secrets. We think we know enough to catch plenty today and still have enough left over for tomorrow. Then a fishery collapses, proving that in the sea, just as on land, humans can decimate animals which once had hugely abundant populations. If we do this to species we are supposed to be managing for our own benefit, what are the prospects for small, or deep-sea living creatures that have yet to be discovered? How safe is anything from the pollution, over fishing and habitat destruction we inflict on the sea? We desperately need new approaches to better manage the oceans. A growing number of people now believe there is a way to conserve marine biodiversity, restore dwindling fish stocks, promote sustainable tourism and safeguard ecosystem integrity.

Cyclone Dani and cyclone Ella battered the northern island of Espiritu Santo early in 1999. Both cyclones were reported to have resulted in heavy rain and wind damage to the Vatthe Conservation Area. Charles Vatu, Conservation Area Support Officer estimated that about 20% of the rainforest trees in the CA were wind thrown and another 70% branchless. Damage to the ecotourism infrastructure, bungalows and trails and houses in both Sara and Matantas Villages were also reported.

This report presents a set of indicators, referred to as the 'core' set. for reporting on the state of the environment across Commonwealth and State and Territory jurisdictions. The core indicators have been developed by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) through an extensive consultation process involving both government agencies and the general public.

While it is anticipated that most nations will ultimately suffer adverse consequences from climate change,1 small island states may face the most dire and immediate consequences. A previous piece by this author focused on the socioeconomic and cultural ramifications of climate change on Pacific Island Developing Countries (PIDCs).2 This article will examine the possible impacts of climate change on the ecosystems of PIDCs. In this pursuit, I will: first, provide a brief overview of PIDCS, second, outline present assessments of climate trends, both globally and regionally, that may have an impact on PIDCS, third, assess some of the potential ecosystem impacts of climate change on islands in the Pacific region, and finally, assess the possible role of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change in ameliorating these impacts.

When coastal buildings or roads are threatened, the typical response is to harden the coast with a seawall. Seawalls run parallel to the beach and can be built of concrete, wood, steel, or boulders. Seawalls are also called bulkheads or revetments; the distinction is mainly a matter of purpose. They are designed to halt shoreline erosion caused primarily by wave action. If seawalls are maintained, they may temporarily hold back the ocean from encroaching on shoreline development. In spite of their ability to hold back the ocean, when waves hit a seawall, the waves are reflected back out to sea, taking beach sand with them and eventually causing the beach to disappear. Moreover, seawalls can cause increased erosion at the ends of the seawall on an adjacent beach that is not walled. Alternatives to seawalls exist, such as beach nourishment and managed retreat. Making coastal land use decisions that ensure a seawall will not be needed in the future to protect structures, however, is the most prudent coastal management solution. This can be accomplished by establishing setback lines and conducting managed retreat of structures that are threatened by shoreline erosion before the situation worsens, or structures that have the potential for being threatened in the future. Regional case studies are presented to illustrate.

Helen Reef in the Southwest Islands of Palau is the one of the greatest marine assets of the Hatohobei (Tobi) People and of the Republic of Palau. Helen Reef is known as one of the most biologically diverse coral reef atolls in the Pacific and historically one of the most biologically abundant reefs in Palau,including acclaimed populations of plentiful marine resources including, trochus, turtles, sea cucumbers, seabirds, and many large reef fish. Reflected in its traditional Hatohobeian name Hotsarihie, which signifies “Reef of the Giant Clam”, Helen Reef is perhaps most famous in the region for its once ubiquitous giant clams, and unfortunately the unchecked foreign poaching that has occurred there over the past decades. The richness and abundance of the atoll’s resources are factors of its location, being remote from human populations and bordering the biodiverse marine eco-regions of Melanesia and SE Asia. The cumulative characteristics of the atoll have attracted many users over time including subsistence fishers from Hatohobei and neighboring islands, sea-faring traders, local businesses interests, and foreign commercial resource operations. The remoteness of Helen Reef which contributes to its historical levels of resource abundance is also a underlying cause for recent resource declines, as the atoll is usually uninhabited and has been notably vulnerable to poaching for the last half century by foreign fishermen from Asian countries