Our Priorities for a Resilient Pacific

Many island communities say that fishing is a way of life. But unsustainable fishing practices coupled with a lack of data have created serious threats to livelihoods, global food security, ocean health and the economies of Pacific Island nations.  

Working across both coastal and large-scale fisheries, TNC helps foster durable and sustainable co-management of Pacific fisheries and build solutions around alternative livelihoods when needed. Working with communities, fishers, governments and companies, we implement new technologies and sustainability strategies that safeguard this critical food source.

Coral reefs are a vital resource, critical for biodiversity, food sources and flood protection. But Pacific Island corals are at risk due to sedimentation, overfishing, coastal development and land clearing—and climate impacts like a warming ocean.  

TNC works with communities to conduct trainings on reef monitoring and management to inform conservation plans. We are also advancing science to help identify climate-resilient “super reefs” and testing innovative new tools to accelerate and scale reef restoration. If science shows these super reefs are ecologically connected, we can incorporate them into Marine Protected Area networks to build resilience to climate change. 

Protected areas are key to ensuring biodiversity. With that in mind, countries across the region developed the Micronesia Challenge, an initiative to protect 30% and effectively manage 50% of marine resources by 2030.

To make this vision a reality, conservation efforts need to incorporate both scientific learnings and the knowledge and experience of local communities. The environmental importance of protected areas must be balanced with the livelihoods that depend on these ecosystems. TNC supports communities in establishing and managing Marine Protected Areas and promotes alignment between communities and governments in establishing policy frameworks and finance mechanisms that ensure the long-term success of protected area networks. 

Poorly planned development and land management have multiple consequences for people and nature, ranging from loss of terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services to degradation of water quality and reefs. TNC works to build resilience from “ridge to reef” by instituting policies and strategies that will prevent harm to watersheds and nearshore ecosystems and remedy the adverse effects of current and historical land use.  

Together with partners, we work to provide technical support and analysis to help communities and land-use authorities assess tradeoffs among different buildout scenarios. We help them identify priority interventions—like reducing wastewater, eradicating invasives and restoring uplands—to reduce threats to the nearshore environment and water quality. TNC also helps create funding mechanisms to support cost-effective interventions with multiple benefits. 

Across the Pacific Islands, people are suffering because of climate change. For example, Micronesia is losing land to sea level rise three times faster than the rest of the world. Healthy and resilient communities depend on their natural resources for sustainable livelihoods and food security. They also need strong frameworks to access government agencies and local NGOs with the funding and capacity to support them in managing their resources.  

Throughout the region, TNC collaborates with communities and partners to provide technical support and share innovative conservation science and expertise that reinforce local traditions and customs, but which respectfully expand beyond historically limited gender roles. Together, we are building capacity to support conservation efforts across the region, generate sustainable livelihoods and help communities become more resilient in the face of climate change.