Turning the Tide: Pacific Nations Lead in Ocean Conservation
From creating the world’s largest Marine Protected Area to launching the biggest Indigenous-led marine reserve on earth, Pacific nations are redefining ocean conservation. In parallel, we are supporting coastal and island communities across the region to turn bold conservation visions into reality.
By Charlie Malcolm-McKay and Marcela Bellettini
Header image: Artisanal fishers next to Rah Island Vanuatu © Jantira Namwong / Shutterstock
The Pacific Islands, often perceived as vulnerable outposts in the face of climate and biodiversity crises, are shifting the narrative. At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, French Polynesia declared its entire ocean territory (nearly 5 million km²), as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), the largest single-country designation of its kind.
Echoing this bold vision, leaders from Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu announced the Melanesian Ocean Reserve, a 6-million km² initiative poised to become the world’s largest Indigenous-led multinational marine reserve. Grounded in local knowledge and strengthened by marine science, these initiatives chart a future where people, birds and ocean thrive together.
Fiji’s Vatu-i-Ra: A Birds Paradise
High-level pledges matter, but their true value is measured in places like Fiji’s Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park. Nestled between Fiji’s two main islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, this 110 km² stretch of reef, lagoon and open ocean is more than a biodiversity hotspot; it’s a flagship for what community-led, gender-inclusive and science-backed marine conservation looks like in action.
Vatu-i-Ra is renowned for its thriving seabird breeding colonies. Recognised as both a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), the island provides critical nesting habitat for species such as the Black Noddy, Greater Crested Tern, Red-footed Booby, Brown Booby and Lesser Frigatebird, among others. The surrounding coral reefs and lagoons are equally rich, home to vibrant reef systems where dolphins, whales and sea turtles are frequently sighted by local communities and visiting divers alike.
Since its establishment in 2017, Fiji’s Vatu-i-Ra Conservation Park has emerged as a leading model of community-led conservation, supported by BirdLife International, NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, the Fiji Government and other partners. The park is guided by the Nagilogilo clan, traditional custodians of Vatu-i-Ra Island, whose deep cultural connection to the land has anchored its long-term protection. The surrounding waters, known as Qoliqoli Cokovata Nakorotubu, fall within customary fishing grounds and remain central to community life in the 28 villages of the Nakorotubu District.
Local communities rely on the marine environment for both sustenance and income, particularly through fishing and harvesting sea cucumbers. The Indigenous community play an active role in managing the park, contributing to governance, enforcement and education. Their involvement is not just essential to the park’s function but deeply tied to their identity and rights as traditional custodians of the sea.
Despite its success, Vatu-i-Ra remains under pressure. Illegal fishing and incursions by non-local actors, invasive species and climate-driven events like tropical cyclones all pose risks. These challenges underscore the critical role of local enforcement, where women are emerging as leading protectors.
Guarding the Reef: Women Taking Action
One of Vatu-i-Ra’s most powerful stories is also one of its quietest revolutions: the inclusion of iTaukei women in its fish warden program. “A core aspect of the park’s success is its fish warden system,” says Mavileko Ramoica, our Regional KBA Coordinator. “And recently, this system has begun to include women, a notable development given traditional gender norms in Fijian communities.”
These women, trained and supported to patrol marine areas, confront not just illegal fishing but the weight of long-standing taboos. They face risks, such as safety concerns during enforcement patrols, limited formal recognition and health challenges, yet they’re quietly transforming how the ocean is protected. Their involvement has improved compliance, strengthened local ownership and sparked important conversations about inclusive gender roles in conservation.
Still, barriers remain. Without formal certification or strong policy support, fish wardens often operate in a grey area. BirdLife and our Partners are now calling for structured recognition, gender-sensitive community education and better technology to support real-time reporting and monitoring.
Conservation That Invests in Communities
Equally vital to the success of Vatu-i-Ra is the way it channels conservation into long-term educational and economic opportunities. A voluntary visitor fee from eco-tourists supports both marine protection and scholarships for students from the local Indigenous communities. It’s a simple but elegant model: the ocean pays forward and the community reinvests in its future.
With support from Fiji’s Ministries of Fisheries, Environment and iTaukei Affairs, the iTaukei Land Trust Board and the Ra Provincial Office, Fiji Police Force, the tourism operators, Wildlife Conservation Society, and BirdLife International, the park is governed under a transparent conservation management plan that ties together environmental protection, local customs and economic resilience.
Engaging Youth in the Cook Islands
In the Cook Islands, our Partner Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) has been leading innovative programmes that connect young people to their environment in ways that are both practical and deeply cultural. One initiative, Snap and Track, brought together TIS and GROW Aitutaki to teach local youth how to monitor sea turtles in Aitutaki Lagoon.
Seventeen young participants learned to identify individual turtles by photographing unique facial markings, a simple technique that will help communities track movements and protect these threatened species. For many, it was their first time venturing into the deeper lagoon, an experience that deepened their connection to the ocean and underscored the importance of local action in conservation.
TIS has also recently partnered with Kōrero o te Ōrau and Muri Environment Care to deliver a week-long programme blending sustainability education with Indigenous knowledge. Students from across the Cook Islands and Hawai‘i explored wetlands, coastal nurseries, and coral reefs, while learning about species recovery efforts, including the remarkable comeback of the Kākerōri (Rarotonga Monarch).
These examples demonstrate that ambitious ocean conservation is not a distant goal but a reality shaped by community engagement and local leadership.
We celebrate the vision and determination of Pacific nations and communities who are redefining what marine protection looks like. Their work is a powerful reminder that the most effective conservation begins when local voices lead and when every effort is rooted in respect for people, place and the planet we share.
