Melanesian Ocean Newsroom

The Melanesian Ocean Reserve is the world’s first Indigenous-led Ocean reserve and represents a bold new model for ocean governance that blends Indigenous knowledge, modern science, and regional political leadership. The intention to form the Reserve was announced earlier this year at the United Nations Oceans Conference in Nice, France, with the presence and support of ministers from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Four countries in the southwestern Pacific Ocean announced plans for an area of protected waters under Indigenous leadership, called the Melanesian Ocean Reserve. The initiative is led by the governments of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, alongside the Islands Knowledge Institute (IKI), and supported by Nia Tero.

The Melanesian Ocean Reserve, announced during the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), will be the first Indigenous-led multi-national ocean reserve on Earth. When complete, it will span at least 6 million square kilometers of ocean and islands — an area as vast as the Amazon rainforest.

During the UN Ocean Conference, the governments of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu announced their intention to create the Melanesian Ocean Reserve. The area is one of the world's most biodiverse marine regions. Protecting it will secure the economic and cultural vitality of hundreds of distinct Indigenous Peoples while furthering global climate, biodiversity, and ocean goals.