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The Government of the Republic of Palau has developed this National Spill Contingency Plan (NATPLAN) as part of its commitment to protecting our valuable coastal and marine resources from an eminent or substantial threat to the marine environment or public. NATPLAN has been developed to reflect the essential steps necessary to initiate, conduct and terminate an emergency spill response on, or into the navigable waters of the Republic of Palau, on the adjoining shorelines, the waters of the contiguous zone or into waters of the exclusive economic zone.

Prior to this survey, the island nation of Samoa had not been systematically surveyed for freshwater biodiversity despite the clear role of freshwater and the associated biodiversity in providing essential ecosystem services. This report is beginning to address this gap in knowledge in Samoa by presenting the preliminary results from the first of an anticipated series of freshwater surveys and in-field trainings for Samoa with the target organisms being fishes and macro-crustaceans. A two week initial survey and training in the last fortnight of july (2008) was conducted as a collaborative effort led by Wetlands International-Oceania and the Paris National Museum of Natural History and supported by a range of agencies. Materials developed prior to the training and surveys include catchment maps with inferred catchment integrity, a pictorial training and awareness “flashcard” book for common fresh and estuarine fished, identification keys for crustaceans and fishes, two lectures and a CD of compiled material relevant to the identification of taxa and management of freshwater system.

In Samoa the Tectus pyramis and the Turbo chrysostomus are generally spread through out the reefs within suitable habitats. These habitats are mainly of shallow sunlit waters within the lagoon and reefs. The juvenile species are mainly found in lesser rough waters while adult species are known to thrive on reef flats towards the reef slopes. They are herbivorous and mainly feed on algae (turf algae), diatoms and foramaniferas on dead corals and rock surfaces. (Bell & Mulipola,) 1995

In this report we present the results of a study carried out between May 2004 and May 2005 as a contribution to the Tropical Rivers Inventory and Assessment Project (TRIAP) of Australia's Tropical Rivers Program. The aim was to provide a framework for the analysis of the ecosystem services provided by the wetland and riverine ecosystems of northern Australia. The analyses drew heavily on the conceptual framework provided by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) where ecosystem services were defined as 'the benefits people obtain from ecosystems'. These benefits include: provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient cycling that maintain the conditions for life on earth. The term 'ecosystem services' is now broadly used to encompass what can also be referred to as ecosystem goods and services and/or ecosystem functions and, at times, also environmental services. For the purposes of this report - given that the study was undertaken using the recognised 'function analysis framework' - the terms ecosystem services and functions are considered to be interchangeable unless a distinction is made otherwise.

Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tuvalu report monitoring data for this report, with data from a broad range of observers (scientists, students, dive guides and communities); Nauru has not conducted recent monitoring; Coral cover has changed since the 2004 report due to effective management (positive), or local disturbances, coral predation and natural disasters (negative). Average coral cover at monitoring sites was 45% in Fiji; 27% in New Caledonia; 43% in Samoa; 30% in Solomon Islands; 65% in Tuvalu; and 26% in Vanuatu; Monitoring observations over 9-10 years in Fiji and New Caledonia indicate that these reefs have coped reasonably well with natural and human stressors without catastrophic changes; Densities of edible fish and invertebrates remained generally low (0-10/100m2) in 4 countries reflecting high subsistence and commercial fishing pressure. Butterflyfish, parrotfish, surgeonfish and damselfish were generally most dominant. High densities of parrotfish were reported from 4 countries; Socioeconomic monitoring is conducted in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands. Greatest activity is by the Fiji Locally Marine Managed Area (FLMMA) network at 270 villages across all Fiji provinces. Most households harvest marine resources for subsistence and partially for sale, with few commercial fishers. In Samoa, more people eat canned fish than fresh fish, possibly because of decreased fish stocks in the last 10 years. In the Solomon Islands, some traditional managed systems have collapsed due to poor understanding of fisheries and resource management issues or poor national regulations. Mangrove destruction and greater fishing pressure are reducing family incomes;

The Pacific Invasives Initiative (PII) is a sister partnership based at Auckland University which shares 6 partners with PILN. The goal of the PII is to contribute to conserving island biodiversity and enhancing the sustainability of island livelihoods by minimizing the spread and impacts of invasive species in the Pacific region. This is achieved by increasing support and developing capacity in the region for managing the impacts of these species. It works with Pacific agencies/organisations to increase their support for invasive species management and develop their capacity to take effective action against their priority invasive species problems. These outcomes are achieved through facilitation of Demonstration Projects, provision of technical support and advice, provision of training and facilitation of skills exchanges.

Fishers have changed their methods from wading in the shallows to the use of sail and paddle canoes, and dinghies with outboard motors. This has resulted in greater coverage of the area where sea cucumbers live, more regular fishing, access to remote areas and the capacity to transport greater catches. Loss of much larger numbers of sea cucumbers from many areas as a result of this increased fishing pressure reduces the chances of adults remaining at densities high enough for effective reproduction. When sea cucumbers are 'thinned out' by over-fishing, they are not always able to find mates to breed with during the spawning season.

Work is based around country visits by the network coordinator to support PILN teams to identify and take strategic action to manage their priority invasive species. The network is functioning by sharing awareness of successful activities being earned out by the teams, providing the mechanism for other teams to do the same, and actively encouraging them to do so. Capacity building is linked to on-going invasive species projects and achieved through workshops and exchanges.

Healthy marine resources require healthy, intact ecosystems. Marine and coastal ecosystems are highly productive and deliver various goods and services that support communities and economies, including food security, clean water, recreational opportunities and other benefits. Effective area-based protection, through MPAs, helps maintain ecosystem health and productivity, while safeguarding social and economic development. They also help maintain the full range of genetic variation, essential in securing viable populations of key species, sustaining evolutionary processes and ensuring resilience in the face of natural disturbances and human use (Agardy and Staub 2006).

Solomon Islands is one of the seven countries of the South West Pacific Node of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN). The country coordination is carried out by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) Gizo Office in the Western Province. All coral reef monitoring activities are carried out by WWF Gizo staff with very little interaction with other stakeholders in way of information sharing.