Note - As of November 2022, the PAWG has been rebranded to the Pacific Area-based Conservation Network (PACoN), with a new terms of reference and membership. More information to come - WATCH THIS SPACE...
If the ocean was a state of its own, it would be the seventh largest economy in the world – with a “gross marine product” of at least US$ 2.5 trillion per year. This Blue Economy is underpinned by diverse ecosystems that provide valuable services to the world, be it fishing, tourism or shipping.
Despite considerable efforts these past four years, we are not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We must dramatically step up the pace of implementation as we enter a decisive decade for people and the planet.
The EBSAs are special areas in the ocean that serve important purposes, in one way or another, to support the healthy functioning of oceans and the many services that it provides.
This document is a guide along the path to realizing Target 3 of the KMGBF. It guides us through the text of the Target itself, breaking down all of the elements and, perhaps most importantly, it is loaded with links to more details.
With the establishment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the Human Development Forum launched a series of publications entitled A Better World, each volume dedicated to one of the 17 SDGs.
Eight percent of all land surface has been designated as “Key Biodiversity Areas” (KBAs). Since these areas were established based on two percent of all terrestrial species estimated to exist, we ask what would happen if we used all species on Earth to identify additional KBAs.
This report was commissioned by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to raise awareness and understanding of the tools available to evaluate Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME); to provide case studies from the region on PAME assessment; and to help inf
This paper contrasts seven spatial biodiversity conservation area designations by six different bodies: Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and the Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the Vulnerable Marine
Length-weight parameters assist in the estimation of a fish’s biomass based upon assessment of length, providing value to many scientific and management applications.
This study seeks to shed light on the rates and drivers of tree cover loss in island catchments focusing on a case study from Fiji. Global Forest Watch (GFW) is critically assessed as a framework for quantifying terrestrial tree cover loss and associated forest carbon stocks.
This handbook for identifying, evaluating and reporting other effective area-based conservation measures in marine fisheries builds on a wealth of FAO fisheries guidance, including the FAO Technical Guidelines on Fisheries Management (FAO, 1997) and the various FAO Technical Guidelines for Respon
The Republic of Fiji consists of approximately 300 islands located roughly 3000 km east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean (between 16o and 20oS, 177oW and 175oE). There are four main islands in the Fiji group: Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Kadavu.
Conservation International’s Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) is an innovative biological inventory program designed to use scientific information to catalyze conservation action.
This report presents the findings of an expedition conducted under the Fiji MESCAL programme at the demonstration site: the Rewa River mangroves. The expedition team carried out surveys of the area’s biodiversity, cultural and archaeological heritage and its socioeconomic profile.
The Mt. Panié RAP survey was led by a partnership between local communities, Province nord (Northern Province), Conservation International (CI) and Dayu Biik, an indigenous conservation non-profit organization. CI and Province nord’s relationships
Here we report the findings from the Marine Rapid Assessment Survey of the coral reefs of the northwest lagoon (Yandé to Koumac) of Nouvelle Calédonie.
Motivated by declines in biodiversity exacerbated by climate change, we identified a network of conservation sites designed to provide resilient habitat for species, while supporting dynamic shifts in ranges and changes in ecosystem composition.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest geographic feature of planet Earth. The Pacific region is home to more than 38 million people1 who rely on it for economic, social and cultural wellbeing, and it is critically important to the global ecosystem.
The Marine Turtle Review report for Vanuatu was completed in 2022. The recommendations in this report provide guidance on the way forward to improving management and conservation of sea turtles in Vanuatu.
This status review is a compilation of the most recent literature and statistics on the status of sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean region, providing a clearer understanding of the risks to sea turtles and their habitats.
A case is put forward to make best use of UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme (RSP) for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF).
Understanding the scale, location and nature conservation values of the lands over which Indigenous Peoples exercise traditional rights is central to implementation of several global conservation and climate agreements.
A Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is under discussion for the period 2021–2030, which will replace the ‘‘Aichi Targets’’ adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2010.
In the early 1980s Spring’s report on marine turtle species distribution indicated there were 6 species of turtles that could be found in PNG water including the green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, olive ridley and the flatback turtles.
Island ecosystems are disproportionally impacted by biodiversity loss and as such their effective management is critical to global conservation efforts.
The Marine Protected Area (MPA) Guide refines existing language and captures a shared vision to describe MPAs and the conservation outcomes they provide. The Guide is the work of many hundreds of stakeholders from around the world.
Many conservation managers, policy makers, businesses and local communities cannot access the biodiversity data they need for informed decision-making on natural resource management.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are ubiquitous in global ocean conservation and play a pivotal role in achieving local, national, and regional area-based conservation targets.
This is the final report prepared by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) for submission to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Papua New Guinea Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) in relation to the 2016–17 assessment of t
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) were always seen as a key instrument for national implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).
This report shares the findings of a study aimed at providing information to fisheries managers on the rate of by-catch and use of different species in the growing ‘fish maw” industry in Papua New Guinea’s Kikori Delta.
Ecosystem-based marine spatial planning is an approach to managing maritime activities while ensuring human well-being and biodiversity conservation as key pillars for sustainable development.
Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) represent unique opportunities to help achieve the 2030 biodiversity conservation agenda. However, potential misuse by governments and economic sectors could compromise the outcome of these conservation efforts.
This guidance document identifies the best options for successful delivery of draft Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). There is good evidence that this will radically increase the success of biodiversity conservation.
Comprehensive, spatially explicit data that include regulatory information are essential for evaluating the level of protection that marine protected areas (MPAs) and other marine managed areas (MMAs) provide to marine life, and to inform progress towards ocean protection targets.