Papua New Guinea - Marine Protected Areas
Marinas Guardian is spearheading an innovative project to establish several key MPAs in Papua New Guinea. By cultivating partnerships between local stakeholders and leading marine technology players, we will ensure the protection of these incredibly valuable and biodiverse areas of the Ocean whilst supporting and empowering the coastal communities that depend upon them.
Project Scope
We signed an MOU with the Papua New Guinea Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (PNG CEPA) on 24 November 2023, with the goals of protecting biodiversity, supporting efforts to protect the Ocean and supporting the effective protection of Exclusive Economic Zone waters in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Central to this project is the creation of five new Marine Protected Areas, shown in the adjacent map, covering a minimum of 287,984.12 km².
MPA Protection Policy
We have developed a clear plan to achieve the UN resolution to protect 30% of the Ocean by 2030. PNG’s major concern, and the primary driver for MPAs, is the belief that significant amounts of fish are being taken by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF). Additionally, there is a concern about the level of the abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). The programme will assess the levels of both IUUF and ALDFG. This is also almost certainly causing degradation of key fish stocks, major losses through bycatch and reduction of fish available for local fisheries. The target areas for the MPAs covered by the programme have been selected based on this primary driver.
The management plan has several crucial elements:
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Urgently establish effective surveillance of the target areas.
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Train rangers from local communities.
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Establish feasibility of reestablishing sustainable, artisanal fishing activities.
Our Broader Work in PNG
PNG is one of the countries most at risk from oil leaks from its huge fleet of World War II wrecks (see Potentially Polluting Wrecks / PPWs), estimated at 400. Marinas Guardian and its partners are specialists in this area and will assess the risks of leaks from wrecks within the designated MPA areas, which cover areas of major air and sea battles during the War in the Pacific. Marinas Guardian has built a consortium of marine science institutes, NGOs, expert companies and universities to address each of these major areas. Click here to see our partners - or to partner with us.
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Ocean Acidification Research will also be undertaken in partnership with Ocean Acidification Alliance to assess the level of Ocean acidification within the MPA areas.
Several of the MPAs also have mining and oil and gas operations within them and the impact of these will be assessed.