| Fast Facts |
location
north coast of New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago; 1.5-hour flight from Port Moresby
ecoregion
Papua
project size
9,500 square miles
public lands
Kimbe Bay’s reefs are community owned
partners
Mahonia na Dari, Walindi Plantation Resort, Australia’s James Cook University, the University of Papua New Guinea
conservancy initiatives
Marine
natural events
whales and dolphins migrate through, year-round | |
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Kimbe Bay, boasting more than 60 percent of the coral species of the entire Indo-Pacific, is a prime target for exploitation by the destructive international live reef fish trade. |
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Islanders in outrigger canoes.
© Mark Conlin/Seapics.com |
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Active volcanic cones encircle tranquil Kimbe Bay on the island of New Britain. Blue-eyed cockatoos and the world’s largest moths fill the air, while bandicoots and wallabies share the landscape with one of the world’s greatest arrays of orchids. But it was the underwater world of Kimbe Bay that first attracted The Nature Conservancy in 1993. The bay had largely escaped the destruction that the live reef fish trade—with its use of cyanide and dynamite to catch prized species alive, for sale in Hong Kong’s markets—has brought to coral reefs elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Offshore coral reefs play an important role in local culture and mythology, even though they are rarely visited by islanders and biologically misunderstood. On New Britain, as in many other places, coral was commonly considered to be lifeless rock, not a fragile living organism crucial to the survival of fish and other marine life. As a result, reefs were thought to be indestructible and no premium was put on their protection. It became clear that any grassroots conservation effort would require citizen education. |
Spine-cheek anemonefish in anemone.
© Doug Perrine/Seapics.com |
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Teaming up with the Walindi Plantation Resort—Kimbe Bay’s primary sport diving center—the Conservancy helped establish Mahonia Na Dari (“Guardians of the Sea” in the local language). The conservation organization sponsors a marine research, conservation and education center to aid scientists and teach islanders about their ecosystems. Historically, the |
| people of New Britain have had a limited relationship with their marine environment. Few children learn to swim, and residents of inland villages often have never seen the ocean. | |
Mahonia Na Dari’s marine education program is developing a future generation of conservation leaders to safeguard Kimbe Bay and has been instrumental in building community support for conservation work. Several villages have established community- managed marine protected areas, closing many reefs to allow them to recover from overharvesting. The education program is so successful that it is being integrated into Papua New Guinea’s National School Teaching Curriculum. The marine conservation and research center now hosts scientists from Australia’s James Cook University and the University of Papua New Guinea, whose research and monitoring help inform conservation work. The Conservancy is planning to expand its marine conservation efforts to the nearby provinces of New Ireland and Manus.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work in Papua New Guinea. |
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| Conservation Profile |
targets
mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs, reef fish, panda clown fish, turtles, orca, bottle- nosed dolphin, spinner dolphin, pilot whale
stresses
runoff from oil palm plantations, overfishing and destructive fishing practices, boat anchor damage to coral reefs, rapid population growth
strategies
designate marine protected areas, strengthen local partner organizations, educate and engage community, construct mooring buoys for reef protection, promote marine research
results
Mahonia na Dari and marine research facility established; 80 mooring buoys constructed; marine education classes have reached more than 5,000 children, adults and community leaders | | | | |
