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This is the seventh volume in a WWF series of reports developed as part of the Arguments for Protection project, which aims to identify and where possible quantify the range of benefits derived from protected areas, increase support for protection, develop new interdisciplinary partnerships, identify innovative financing mechanisms and broaden and strengthen protected area management strategies. In this case we focus on the positive benefits that can be provided by protected areas for human health. Our understanding of the term ‘human health’ in this context is based on the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO): “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Over two-thirds of the world’s surface is covered by water. Open oceans, semi-enclosed or enclosed seas, coastal areas, estuaries, rivers and lakes are host to highly diverse ecosystems that span all of earth’s climatologic zones. The productivity of these ecosystems has largely shaped development of human society and led to human settlement along coastal margins. Globally, the number of people living within 100 km of the coast increased from ca 2 billion in 1990 to 2.2 billion in 1995, or 39 percent of the world’s population (WRI 2006). The number continues to increase.

Research for this study was carried out under a two-year project to support the implementation of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) at two catchment-to-reef sites on Vanua Levu, Fiji. While the original scope of the study was to draw on lessons from community monitoring of infringements within their marine protected area (MPA) networks, efforts to assist communities to keep regular records of non-compliance met with numerous challenges. Because of the limited community monitoring data, the report has changed in scope to discuss some of the root causes of non-compliance with fisheries regulations within the traditional fishing grounds (qoliqoli) of Kubulau District and Macuata Province.

Research for this study was carried out under a four-year project to assist communities in Kubulau district of Vanua Levu in Fiji to establish networks of marine protected areas within their large, traditional fishing grounds (qoliqoli). In 2005 and 2009, socioeconomic household surveys were conducted in villages of the Kubulau district to examine coastal marine resource use and participation in the management process. Results from three of the villages (Navatu, Kiobo, Nakarovou) with traditional fishing rights within the three established district-wide, no-take MPAs (Namena, Namuri, Nasue, respectively) are compared with one village (Natokalau) without fishing rights in these areas but with high observed levels of community organization.

Research for this study was carried out under a two-year project to support the implementation of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) at two catchment-to-reef sites on Vanua Levu, Fiji, during which conservation planning approaches were trialled using EBM tools to evaluate options for re-designing marine protected area (MPA) networks. Current approaches in systematic conservation planning have focused on developing tools to maximize conservation benefits while minimizing socio-economic costs to users of a landscape or seascape area. In this study, we present a novel method for calculating the opportunity costs of conservation actions to multiple gear type users arising from fisher displacement due to the establishment of MPAs in Kubulau District, Vanua Levu, Fiji. The method builds upon those applied in land conservation in which the probability of land conversion to alternate functions is used to estimate opportunity costs to multiple stakeholders, which differs from previous approaches by providing information about costs of currently unused areas that may be of potential future benefit. We model opportunity costs of establishing a network of MPAs as a function of food fish abundance, probability of catch as function of gear type and market value of species. Count models (including Poisson, Negative Binomial and two zero-inflated models) were used to predict spatial distribution of abundance for preferred target fish species and validated against underwater visual census (UVC) surveys and biophysical predictor variables (reef type, reef exposure, depth, distance to shore, protection status). Spatial distributions of targeted fish within the three most frequently sighted food fish families (Acanthuridae, Lutjanidae, Scaridae) varied considerably: Lutjanidae had the highest abundance on barrier reefs; Acanthuridae on inshore fringing and patch reefs; and Scaridae on fringing reefs. Modeled opportunity cost, estimated as a function of abundance and probability of catch by gear type, indicated highest cost to fishers would arise from restricting access to the fringing reef between the villages of Navatu and Kiobo and the lowest cost would arise from restricting access to the Cakaunivuaka reef. The opportunity cost layer was added to Marxan models to identify optimum areas for protection to meet fisheries objectives in Kubulau’s traditional fisheries management area with: (a) the current MPA network locked in place; and (b) a clean-slate approach. The opportunity cost method presented here gives an unbiased estimate of opportunity costs to multiple gear types in a marine environment that can be applied to any region using existing species data.

An invasive alien species are known to cause significant economic and environmental damage. Islands are much more vulnerable to the invasion of invasive alien species, and have higher rates of extinction. In the islands of the South Pacific, there are several species Polynesian land birds which are threatened with extinction due to invasive alien species and human interference. Without any intervention from humans, it is likely that these birds will suffer extinction in the next few decades. The island of Atiu in the Cook Islands (South Pacific) supports a range of avian fauna. In 2007 the Rimitara lorikeet (Vini kuhlii), also known locally as the ‘Kura’ was introduced to Atiu, to make a reserve population, as there were only approximatley 1000 left on the island of Rimitara, French Polynesia. There is concern for this species on Atiu due to the existence of the common myna (Acridotheres tristis). The myna is an aggressive invasive which is one of the world’s worst 100 invasive species. It was introduced to the Cook Islands by the government, with the intention to control the coconut-stick insect (Graeffea crouani), but is now a pest itself. A myna control programme on Atiu is being coordinated and controlled by Gerald McCormack (Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust), working through George Mateariki, and using funding from various conservation organisations. Poisioning is being carried out by George in order to reduce myna numbers, and a bounty has been set on the birds or for every right foot so that the locals can help as much as possible. This investigation aimed to estimate the total population size on the island to use as a starting count to determine whether the programme is successful or not. Two methods were used which included roost counts to find an estimate of the population, and a transect method using a Distance programme to estimate the number of birds per hectare as well as the level of abundance in various habitat types. The two methods had overlapping results, giving a total estimated range of 3250 to 8460 birds on the island, although it is more likely to be at the higher end of this estimate at around 6000 to7000 birds. Further investigation will need to determine any change in the population size, any changes in habitat composition as well as the impact on the native species, especially the effect on the Kura and its population size.

The mission of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) is to serve as the trustee for a system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect and enhance biodiversity. To assist in accomplishing this mission, the ONMS has developed a partnership with NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment's Biogeography Branch (CCMA-BB) to conduct biogeographic assessments of marine resources within and adjacent to the marine waters of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries (Kendall and Monaco, 2003).