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Niue

International Waters Project

Working with Communities to Strengthen

Makefu Monitoring Training, 25th March 2002

Coastal Fisheries Management

The Niue International Waters Project (IWP) is working with the villages of Makefu and Alofi North to find cost-effective ways to improve the management of their coastal fisheries resources and habitats. The Vailoapu/Namoui marine protected area is located on the north west coast of Niue between the two pilot villages.

Currently the Crown has the authority to manage coastal fisheries up to the high water mark and to impose any restrictions. The International Waters Project is looking at how this system could be enhanced by developing an interlinked network of village-based management plans.

What is the problem?

The Participatory Situation Analysis Report prepared by the Niue IWP in March 2003 revealed that the depletion of coastal resources and degradation of habitats had been experienced by many villages. One of the main root causes of the problem is the introduction of modern fishing gear and practices.

Background

Niue, 261 square kilometres in area, is the largest a raised coral atoll in the world. Composed mainly of solid rock the island is surrounded by a rugged, fringing, reef shelf, some 20-60 metres wide. Imposing cliffs rise straight up from the reef 20-27 metres above the high tide watermark.

Niue does not have rivers, lakes, or mountains, nor do the reef formations allow for white sandy beaches that most Pacific Islands are blessed with.

Although Niue is much larger than most small Pacific islands it currently supports a population of less than two thousand people. Given the absence of a large population Niue’s reef resources cannot be said to be under extreme pressure from overuse like those of other atolls such as Kiribati.

Many local people believe that nothing much has changed to the reef environment since the first settlement of the island. Niue’s population has never exceeded 6000 at any time in the past two centuries and the access to many of the reef resources is hostile enough to discourage even the most ardent seafood addict.

What has the Niue IWP been doing to address the problem?

Since 2003 the Niue IWP has conducted public meetings and awareness programmes to develop a rapport with the village communities and advertise the projects’ commitment to the sustainable management of coastal resources. It has also conducted transect reef exercises to determine base population counts, and initiated socio-economic surveys to try and understand the key social and economic factors governing the use of these resources.

The IWP is working together with the communities of Makefu and Alofi North to develop and implement new “Village-based Fisheries Management Plans” which include tools such as Marine Protected Areas.

What are the key objectives of the Niue IWP?

How is the IWP managed?

A National Task Committee (NTC), including stakeholders from the government and non-government agencies, is the primary decision-making authority for the Niue IWP. The Project Development Team (PDT) includes technical advisors selected from government agencies. The pilot villages have their own Local Project Working Groups (LPWG) that implement project activities. These groups are made up of Village Councils, Pastors, Women and Youth.

What are the next steps for the Niue IWP?

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