Conservation
Activities and Information
SOLOMON
ISLANDS MARINE ASSESSMENT KEY FINDINGS
An
international team of scientists and managers
conducted a large-scale marine assessment of
the Solomon Islands in May/June 2004. Led by
Dr Alison
Green of the Nature Conservancy, this was the
first survey of the marine resources of the main
archipelago,
covering a distance of almost 2,000nm and seven
provinces. In 35 days of survey, the team found
very high biodiversity of both corals and fish
indicating that the Solomon Islands are part
of the Coral Triangle which has the highest marine
biodiversity in the world. Unfortunately, the
team
found low numbers of commercially exploited species
in most areas, indicating that overfishing is
widespread.

CORALS
AND REEF CONDITION
Dr Charlie
Veron (AIMS) and Emre Turak found that the Solomon
Islands has one of the highest
diversities
of corals anywhere in the world. They recorded
494 species of corals and several new species.
This extraordinarily high diversity of coral
species is second in the world only to Raja
Ampat in Indonesia.
The reefs that the team visited were generally
in good health. However, many sites had above
natural numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish
(COTS), with
significant coral mortality at a few sites
where
there were high numbers of COTS. Patches of
mortality that appear to match the 2000 coral
bleaching
event were found, particularly in the eastern
Solomon
Islands. Damage to corals from blast fishing
was only seen at a few sites.

REEF FISH
The
survey confirms that the Solomon Islands has
one of the richest concentrations of
reef fishes
in the world and is an integral part
of the Coral Triangle. Dr Gerry Allen (CI) recorded
1019 fish
species of which 786 (77%) were observed
during the survey and the rest were
found
from museum
collections. Gerry found approximately
47
new distribution records for the Solomon
Islands,
as well as a cardinalfish
(Apogonidae) which is a new species.
Gerry found from100 to 279 fish species per
site, with an
average of 185 per site. A total of 200
species per site
is considered the benchmark for an excellent
fish count. This figure was exceeded
at 37% of Solomon
Islands sites. The best site for fish
diversity was Njari Island, off Gizo with a total
of 279 fish species. Gerry has only found
more species
than this at three other sites in the
world.

COMMERCIALLY
IMPORTANT MARINE SPECIES
Peter Ramohia
(Department of Fisheries), Alec Hughes, Tingo
Leve (WWF), Michael
Ginigele (Tiola
Marine Protected Area Project, Roviana
Lagoon) and Alison Green
(TNC) surveyed the status of stocks of commercially important species.
On many reefs, the team found few
sea cucumbers, Trochus shell, crayfish,
tridacnid clams or large commercial fish
species. The
most valuable species such as maori
wrasse,
bumphead parrotfish, Trochus, larger species of tridacnid clams
and some sea
cucumbers (Holothuria nobilis, Holothuria fuscogilva, Thelanota
ananas) were often absent. During the survey,
the team did not see a single green
snail Turbo marmoratus which used to support
a
large export industry, indicating
that
this species may be locally extinct
and
requires immediate protection.
In contrast, in the Arnavon Marine
Conservation Area where commercial
fishing and collecting is banned
and only subsistence collecting of
some reef fish
species is allowed, there were many sea cucumbers, Trochus, tridacnid
clams, crayfish,
as well as large commercial fish species particularly the bumphead
parrot fish. Also, after more than 10 years of protection, pearl
oyster, especially
black
lip Pinctada margaritifera, were abundant. This shows that the
conservation area has achieved its goal of protecting
important fisheries species.

WHALES AND
DOLPHINS
Benjamin
Kahn (APEX Environmental Pty Ltd) found a relatively
low cetacean species
diversity and
abundance throughout most of the Solomon Islands
with dolphins locally abundant in a few areas.
Benjamin sighted 10 species of cetaceans including
spinner, spotted, Risso’s, bottlenose, Indo-Pacific
bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins, and a Bryde’s
or Sei whale, orca and beaked whales. Sperm whales
were also identified acoustically. The Indispensable
Strait region and some other narrow, deep passages
in the Solomon Seas are probably migratory corridors.
Benjamin spoke to villagers about the traditional
dolphin drive which is still practiced in some
areas. The drive has a strong cultural heritage
with minimal modernisation in the fishery.

SEAGRASS
Len
McKenzie (QDPI&F), Ferral Lasi (TNC)
and Stuart Campbell (WCS) found 10 species
of seagrass,
80% of the known seagrass species in the
Indo-Pacific region. They found some very large
meadows,
including one that was more than 1000 hectares
in size and
some deep meadows, down to 37m. Throughout
the survey, the seagrass meadows were associated
with
a high biodiversity of fauna including dugong,
fish, sea cucumbers, seastars, algae and
coral. The highly productive seagrass meadows
are
often on the fringe of coastal communities
and support
important artisanal fisheries and provide
extensive nursery areas for juvenile fish.

COMMUNITY
LIAISON
Communication
with local communities and national and provincial
governments was
critical
to the success of the survey and was conducted
by Willie
Atu, Ferral Lasi, Rudi Susurua (TNC)
and John Pita (Dept Environment & Conservation),
with assistance from national and provincial
government officials,
WWF and local NGOs. Because of the
excellent liaison work conducted before and
during
the survey, the
team had fantastic support as it travelled
through the Solomon Islands. This survey
has provided an
important basis for working with partners
and local communities to protect these
important resources
in the long term.

SUPPORT
The
survey was a cooperative project between The
Nature Conservancy (TNC), Solomon
Islands Government,
local and international non-government
conservation agencies including
World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF), Conservation International
(CI), Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS), Australian research
organisations (Australian Institute of
Marine Science
(AIMS), CRC Reef Research Centre,
Queensland Dept
Primary Industries & Fisheries
(QDPI&F),
APEX Environmental Pty Ltd) and
Triggerfish Images.
It was supported
by the David and Lucile Packard
Foundation, Homeland Foundation,
the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation and the MV FeBrina
of Walindi Plantation Dive Cruises.
For more information contact
Dr Alison Green,
The
Nature Conservancy
PO Box 772,
Townsville 4810 Australia
Telephone: 61 7 4729 8400
Email: agreen@tnc.org.
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