Home > Programmes > International Waters Project

Mr. Russell Nari, Deputy Director, Vanuatu Environment Unit

“Using the IWP’s participatory process has really helped us to try and develop a better understanding of the perceptions, desires, and commitment that our communities have to manage their own resources.” Russell Nari

In this profile Russell talks about how the Vanuatu International Waters Project is helping to strengthen the management of coastal fisheries in Vanuatu.

Russell joined Vanuatu’s Environment Unit in 1994 as the Protected Areas Officer after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea. Until 1996 he was responsible for coordinating and supervising the establishment of the Vatthe Conservation Area – the first ever government supported conservation area in Vanuatu. In 1996 he became the Senior Biodiversity Officer responsible for all the biodiversity related issues for Vanuatu. After successfully completing a Masters Degree Programme in Environment Management and Development at the University of Australian, Russell was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Vanuatu Environment Unit in 2001.

1. Can you briefly explain how the Vanuatu IWP is trying to help improve the management of coastal resources in Vanuatu at the community and national levels?

The IWP Vanuatu is working with the pilot community of Crab Bay, in Malekula Island, to help them to really understand their roles in coastal resource management. The project is empowering them to take responsibility to better manage these resources – particularly their land crab resources.

Information gathering is being undertaken at the national and community levels. Firstly, working with communities to identify what currently exists in terms of resource management and, equally important, the cost and benefits to the communities. Similarly, at the national level, information is being gathered with the objective of providing a clearer picture of the current situation and circumstances.

Legal reviews have also been undertaken to provide us with a clear understanding of the current situation, gaps, overlaps, and to suggest areas for improvement in terms of coastal resource management.

2. How coastal resources are currently managed in Vanuatu at community and national levels?

Like most of Pacific Island countries the resources in Vanuatu, including the land and sea, are owned by their communities. Coastal resources in Vanuatu are managed at three different levels: community, provincial, and national.

At the provincial level, under the Decentralization Act, Provincial Councils have the powers to formulate and implement by-laws within their six nautical mile zone. Although the provincial council has the powers to develop and implement by-laws, these by-laws have to consistent with the national laws.

The national laws provide the overall legal frameworks through which coastal resources are being managed at all levels such as the Fisheries Act. However, current laws are not inclusive. For example, the Fisheries Act only covers the commercial species of marine resources.

Having said that, the Environmental Management and Conservation Act of 2002 provides a more flexible mechanism for a more inclusive coastal resource management through the community conservation component. This piece of legislation recognizes the traditional resource management practices and approaches and links them into more modern resource management practices, without removing the overall power of the communities in managing the resources.

3. What do you think are the main issues you face in trying to improve the management of coastal resources in Vanuatu?

When it comes to coastal resource management most of our existing laws and policies are neither complementary nor coordinated. Up until now information was concentrated on commercial species, whereas information on the subsistence use of coastal resources has never been collected because it was not considered to be important. However, given the obvious pressure on these resources, this view has now changed. Limited human and financial resources and enforcement capacity remains one of the major issues when it comes to resources management. Recognizing these issues, the Environmental Management and Conservation Act of 2002 had been designed to give resource management plans and rules and enforcement responsibilities to the resource owners. This is to ensure the ownership remains with them and they take full responsibility with the backing of the laws.

4. Does Vanuatu have any current or proposed legislation that deals directly with protection of coastal resources such as land crabs?

Yes. The Environmental Management and Conservation Act of 2002 provides for communities or landowners to formulate their own resource management plans, determine penalties and enforcement. The management can be either based on species or area. The Fisheries Act is currently undergoing amendments, which would hopefully expand its scope to cover the subsistence use of coastal resources.

5. How is the enforcement of rules for managing coastal resources currently administered and applied?

The enforcement capacity remains to be a major issue for resource management in Vanuatu. Like most laws in Vanuatu, enforcement is centralized with the national agencies. With limited human and financial resources, enforcement is always weak, and in some instances is non-existence. From these experiences, Vanuatu through the Environmental Management and Conservation Act decentralize the enforcement power to the communities or landowners, as they will be always on the site and above all gives them the ownership.

6. To date what do you think have been the main lessons and benefits that have been provided by the Vanuatu IWP?

It’s been important to raise the profile of the need to improve the management of Vanuatu’s subsistence coastal resources. Using the IWP’s participatory process has really helped us to try and develop a better understanding of the perceptions, desires and commitment that our communities have to manage their own resources.

The project has helped resource owners to better understand and appreciate the value of combining scientific approaches and traditional knowledge and practices to improve resource management. It has also been really important to show people that we need to deal with the issue of managing coastal resources at all levels: community, provincial, and national - either through direct actions or indirect intervention through policy changes.

7. What do you hope the Vanuatu IWP will be able to achieve by the end of this year?

We hope to finish the information generation process and come up with a management plan and a management structure that is workable and cheaper to operate by the communities. Equally vital, is to identify and commence discussions at the national level to influence policies to accommodate these changes.