Draft for Discussion : Issues for consideration in the development of a Marine Protected Area Policy for Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Papua New Guinea is a Member of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), and in order to support the marine biodiversity goals of the CTI Regional and National Plans of Action, one action they have prioritised, is the need to strengthen marine governance. As a result, technical assistance and support for the development of a national Marine Protected Area (MPA) policy has been offered to the Department of Environment and Conservation by the Australian Government as part of their CTI support activities. This includes training to guide the policy development process, identification and involvement of national marine environment specialists to provide advice and ongoing mentoring and support during the policy development process. This discussion paper contributes to this process by identifying key issues that will need to be addressed and resolved and highlights potential solutions for consideration by the policy development team.