Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs in the Southwest Pacific
used for management, and several Gendarmerie Precincts now have small boats, although
this is insufficient for adequate enforcement.
Samoa
There are 10 pieces of legislation, involving 8 different government departments, with the
most relevant being:
• The National Parks and Reserves Act 1974 - provides for the establishment of
Marine Parks and Reserves;
• The Fisheries Act 1988 - a new bill is currently proposed to repeal this Act to
govern issues relevant to marine conservation and monitoring, prohibition of
fishing activities, research and establishment of Regulations and Bye-laws;
• Fisheries Regulations 1996 - regulate exploitation of certain marine species,
fishing practices and fish aggregating devices;
• The Village Bye-laws 1999 - this new legislation allows villages to regulate,
manage and enforce rules within their customary fishing areas using traditional
customs e.g. a penalty of fine mats, pigs or boxes of tinned fish can be imposed
on the offender.
Solomon Islands
• Fisheries Act 1998 - gives power to the Minister of Fisheries to manage, develop
and conserve fisheries resources to ensure that the resources are not endangered
by over-exploitation;
• Environment Act 1998 - makes provision for and establishes integrated systems
of development control, environmental impact assessment and pollution control.
Tuvalu
• Fisheries Act 1978 - (revised in 1990) promotes the development of fisheries and
ensures that fishery resources are exploited to the full for the benefit of Tuvalu;
• Marine Zones (Declaration) Act 1993 - refers to sovereign rights to explore,
exploit, conserve and manage living and non-living resources within the area of
its jurisdiction;
• Local Government Act - gives local governments the power to improve and
control fishing and related industries and prohibit, restrict or regulate hunting,
capture, killing or sale of fish;
• Local Government Bye-laws - several island councils have exercised their right
under the Local Government Act by establishing by-laws that ban fishing
practices, prohibit certain areas from fishing activities, license commercial fishers etc.
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