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Fisheries in the Solomon Islands comprise two distinct sectors: the industrial sector which is predominantly off-shore and depends on the abundant tuna resources found in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and the subsistence-artisanal sector which is based on inshore resources found in the coastal regions. Although the off-shore Fisheries contribute more to the national economy in terms of foreign exchange earning (Gillett and Lightfoot 2002), the subsistence-artisanal sector is by far the most important to the bulk of the population with annual production estimated at SI$60 million (Kile 2000) and US$9,963 million (Gillett and Lightfoot 2002). This sector provides food, income and employment for many inhabitants of coastal communities throughout the country, and will become increasing important as the population of the Solomon Islands increases.

Mauke, Mitiaro and Atiu are deeply eroded volcanic islands in the southern Cook Islands, south Pacific, each surrounded by a rim of elevated Cenozoic reef limestone (makatea). This paper presents the results of instrumental topographic surveys of each island. The maximum elevation of the volcanics is 24.4, 8.9 and 71.0 m on Mauke, Mitiaro and Atiu, respectively, and of the makatea 14.7, 10.9 and 22.1 m. The makatea is fringed on its seaward side and in places partially overlain by a sequence of late Pleistocene reef limestones which reach maximum elevations of 12.7, 7.8 and 12.2 m respectively. These exhibit varied reef facies as well as emergent reef topographies, especially groove- and-spur systems. Elevated notches, cliff-foot benches and emergent reef flats indicate higher Holocene relative sea-levels at up to at least 3 m above present. These data are compared with similar features on Mangaia, also in the southern Cooks, and the very different topographic and stratigraphic records on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and the implications of the independent island histories thus revealed for previous discussions of lithospheric flexure and Pleistocene sea-level change are reviewed.

This nomination document is to support the recommendation made in 1989 by the Solomon Island Government that World Heritage listing be pursued for Lake Tegano on East Rennell in Rennell and Bellona Province and for Marovo Lagoon in the Western Province. The New Zealand Government was invited to be the sponsor country to enable the Solomon Islands to become a State Party to the World Heritage Convention and to assist with the procedures for listing. In 1992 the Solomon Islands became a member of the Convention

This document represents a concise report on the State of Environment for Solomon Islands/ It was prepared as a major element of the Regional Environment Technical Assistance (RETA) project, one of the largest environmental projects implemented in the Pacific. As the environment is affected by all resources development, the NEMS will be cross-sectoral and is being developed in consultation with relevant resource management and provincial authorities.

The Solomon Islands is the third largest archipelago in the South Pacific. The country consists of a double chain of volcanic islands with six major island groups: New Georgia, Guadalcanal and Makira to the south; and Choiseul, Isabel and Malaita in the northern group.Guadalcanal is the major island and the location of Honiara, the capital.There are some 992 islands, atolls and cays that compose the Solomon Islands, the total land area of which is 28 370 sq km scattered in an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 600 000 sq km. The population of the Solomon Islands was estimated at408 400 in 19991 with the highest percentage located in the Malaita Province.The Solomon Islands has a tropical climate from Aprilto November followed by the wet season from December to March. Rainfall is variable, ranging from3 000 mm to 3 500 mm per annum and average temperature is 26°C

Mongabay rainforest profiles: American Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu