THE island nations of the south-western Pacific are considering allowing citizens to reclaim legal control of their local seas, in the hope they can use their traditional knowledge, customs and laws to protect fish stocks and biodiversity. The move is a tacit acknowledgement that western-style centralised fishing regulations are failing to protect many of the world’s marine ecosystems.
Almost all Melanesian countries, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu, are reporting falling numbers of several species of fish and mollusc. Most of the reports are anecdotal, but the absence of hard data makes it more, not less urgent to improve…
