Workshop for National Action Plan on Coral Reef Conservation conducted in Isabel Province
Honiara, Solomon Islands – 3rd July 025 – The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR), are conducting a series of workshops across four provinces in the country. The first was done in Tulagi, Central Province, with the latest done at Ghaseali, Isabel Province.
The workshop is aimed at collecting important information from stakeholders and resource owners in preparation for the development of a “National Action Plan (NAP) for Coral Reefs” in the Solomon Islands.
The National Action Plan (NAP) will be the document that will set out the course for the strategic direction to develop, manage, protect and conservation of coral reefs not only in the four identified provinces but across the whole of Solomon Islands.
“The consultation served as a learning session during which we identified threats and opportunities, and discussed potential strategies to sustainably manage our resources, particularly the coral reefs. It also provided a platform for us to voice our stories. Our forefathers have sustainably managed resources in the past, hence our enjoyment today. It is our responsibility to continue their legacy for our future generations,” stated Mary Rakeli, a representative from Kubolota community, Isabel Province.
The workshop builds up from community visioning trip conducted last year and early this year.
Among others, the core objective of the workshop is to increase and strengthen overall awareness, knowledge and understanding of resilient coral reefs for all stakeholders to ensure their ideas aligns with Provincial level visions and aspirations, identifying potential capacity development areas and to provide stakeholders a platform to share how they would like the NAP to be implemented.
The workshop sessions covered topics on the importance of coral reefs, its current status, threats, opportunities, and an overview of the Coral Reef Rescue (CRR) project in the Solomon Islands, and the significance of the NAP.
During the session’s participants were involved in stakeholder analysis and group presentations, that culminated in discussions about the next steps for the NAP.
“It was truly inspiring to listen to the diverse voices of the Indigenous Peoples, whose deep-rooted connection to their resources remains vibrant and unwavering”, remarked Mr Christian Manepolo from WCS. Something we can all learn from and will integrate into the NAP.
The workshop was jointly conducted by WCS as the lead and implementing agency for the Global Environment Fund (GEF) Coral Reef Rescue (CRR) project in the Solomon Islands, together with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) representing the Government. The team will then travel to Auki – Malaita Province, and Lata -Temotu Province in the coming weeks.
This project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), contributing to the World Wildlife Fund’s led Global Coral Reef Rescue Initiative, the Coral Reef Rescue: Resilient Reefs, Resilient communities project (GEF CRR), for which WCS is the National Technical Facilitator (national executing agency) in the Solomon Islands.
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– MECDMM PRESS RELEASE