Marine protected areas and locally managed marine areas establishment in Milne Bay Province: community-based coastal and marine conservation in Milne Bay Province

Establishing marine protected areas may sound simple where a site is set up as a reserve for food security and other reasons. It is a long-term ongoing continuous process, which requires corporation from the local resource owners and the assisting organizations. In Papua New Guinea this concept is difficult because of the land tenure system, which gives ownership over the resources by clans or family groups. To develop such things needs very good explanations and clarification from the start during involvement with communities. Awareness on the need for sustainable management is very important for which MPAs and LMMAs are an essential tool to derive sustainable resource management. Thought they may be several reasons why an LMMA may be set up by different groups of communities in different villages. For whatever reasons these communities have, it is important that we assist them in doing so. Biological studies are an important part in site determination. The area may not be necessarily being biologically diverse area, but it may be a sink area during larval dispersal, which would be a source or reservoir for fish and other marine stock replenishment. In such cases it is important that we assist communities in setting up these sites for the purpose of food security. There may be other options that which are larger and complex. Preservation and maintenance of large biodiversity areas is also significant however, this will be observed and maintained by the communities if it is understood and does not clash with their daily sustainable activities such as fishing and collection of trochus, beech-de-mer for cash income. Provided below are some of the thoughts or points to consider when we think of setting up MPAs and LMMAs with the local communities in Milne Bay Province.