Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs in the Southwest Pacific
better prepared if bleaching happens again. Bleaching has previously occurred in Fiji,
although not to the same degree as it did in early 2000. Bleaching is a regular but less
dramatic event in Samoa. There is little documented evidence of repeated bleaching in
Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, or Vanuatu. New Caledonia experienced some bleaching in 1995-
96, but recovery was strong with minimal mortality. Current evidence suggests that coral
bleaching will become a more frequent and severe phenomenon in the future.
Changes in sea level are frequent from a geological perspective in the Pacific Islands, and the
coral reefs have been able to adapt. Therefore sea level rise is not a major threat in itself to
coral reefs, but a combination of sea level rise and increases in atmospheric CO 2
concentrations, which will reduce the rate of calcification of coral skeletons, could seriously
threaten coral reef ecosystems. Thus, if predicted increases in sea level (15 - 95cm by 2100)
occur in combination with increased CO 2 levels, coral reef growth may not be able to keep
pace with sea level rise. Other factors such as increased reef degradation from human sources
and increases in mean sea surface temperatures, could affect the geographic distribution of
coral reefs.
STATUS OF REEF CONSERVATION
All Pacific Island countries recognised the need to conserve marine habitats in the National
Environment Management Strategies (NEMS), coordinated by SPREP in preparation for the
1992 UNCED Conference in Rio. SPREP now assists these countries in their compliance with
Conventions and Agreements on marine conservation and sustainable development, such
as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, and the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (through the Pacific Islands
Climate Change Assistance Programme). Reef conservation is specifically reinforced in the
Activity Plan for the Conservation of Coral Reefs in the Pacific Islands Region (1998-2002).
The Plan is a partnership between countries and regional organisations, and focuses on five
areas: 1) education and awareness, 2) monitoring, assessment and research, 3) capacity
building, 4) legislation; and 5) networking and linkages across people and programmes.
SPREP has also assisted in coral reef monitoring training in several countries to assist the
formation of GCRMN Nodes. Likewise Reef Check has also been active in Fiji. Both of these
monitoring programmes are now the responsibility of GCRMN Nodes to implement,
building on Fiji’s example. While there are basic databases, these need reinforcement,
appropriate coordination, and greater commitment.
Most countries have a strong tradition of customary marine tenure frequently aimed to
conserve marine resources for future use. In that most tenure mechanism are ancestral and
exist along village and family rights and owned areas, it is a challenge to integrate these
with more ‘western’ governance and zoning structures that are more ‘public’ or common
property based in design. Thus the establishment of both MPAs and coastal zone
management (CZM) plans (which are lacking for most countries) can made more effective
by enhanced incorporation of customary marine rights. However, there is still a need for
underpinning marine conservation policy dialogue, economic incentives and conservation
legislation for both traditional and governmental application of MPAs and CZM plans. The
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