The governments of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu jointly announced their commitment to create the Melanesian Ocean Reserve— the world’s first Indigenous-led, multi-national ocean reserve at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC).
The initiative marks a historic effort to protect the ancestral waters, cultures, and livelihoods of Melanesia’s Indigenous Peoples, while supporting global marine biodiversity and climate goals.
Once completed, the Reserve will span six million square kilometres — a marine area comparable in scale to the Amazon rainforest. It will include the combined national waters of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and areas adjoining New Caledonia’s protected Exclusive Economic Zone. The region is recognised as one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity hotspots.
“For millennia, the Indigenous Peoples of Melanesia have been the wisest and most effective stewards of these sacred waters. That is why the governments of Melanesia are joining forces to create an unprecedented ocean reserve that honours our identities, livelihoods, and spiritual connections,” said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.
Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Ralph Regenvanu, said the initiative delivers on a long-standing goal under Vanuatu’s National Ocean Policy to establish a transboundary corridor of traditionally managed ocean space across Melanesia.
“The Melanesian Ocean Reserve will allow our governments and peoples to do more to protect our ancestral waters from those who extract and exploit without care for our planet,” Regenvanu said. “We hope our Indigenous stewardship of this vast reserve will inspire similar efforts around the world.”
Although Solomon Islands and Vanuatu led the announcement, PNG and New Caledonia have signalled interest in joining, raising the potential for a unified marine conservation zone across the Melanesian region.
As part of the commitment, the two founding governments pledged to dedicate all archipelagic waters and adjacent areas to the Reserve. Only sustainable economic activities aligned with Indigenous cultural values and environmental care will be permitted.
The concept was originally developed by Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology, Trevor Mahaga, and Vanuatu’s Minister Regenvanu, following discussions at the 2024 Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia. They later collaborated with PNG’s Fisheries Minister Jelta Wong, supported by nonprofit partners Nia Tero and the Islands Knowledge Institute (IKI).
Nia Tero CEO ‘Aulani Wilhelm described the Reserve as a shared vision brought to life: “What these Melanesian leaders are doing is giving voice to the hope of all Oceanic Peoples — to bring forward the dreams and knowledge of our ancestors and to care for the ocean and our planet in the way they deserve.”
The Islands Knowledge Institute, led by Indigenous ecologist Dr Edgar Pollard in Solomon Islands, has been key in building dialogue and cooperation across the region. Dr Pollard said the Reserve’s strength lies in its cultural and ecological foundation: “It reflects an unmistakable truth — that treating the ocean as our home is the best protection. This initiative makes that relationship real, from the tribe to the village to the state.”
The Melanesian Ocean Reserve represents both a bold marine conservation effort and a strong affirmation of Indigenous leadership in global ocean governance — a model that may shape future approaches as environmental challenges intensify.
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