Papua New Guinea has announced plans to create a 200,000 sq km ‘no-take’ marine protected area (MPA) designed to safeguard a major marine life migration corridor in the western Pacific.
The Western Manus Marine Protected Area in the Bismarck Sea would become the largest marine reserve in Melanesia and form part of the planned Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves (MOCOR), a network of national and joint boundary protected areas across Fiji, Vanuatu and PNG.
Scientists describe the region, which lies within the Coral Triangle, as a ‘marine highway’ in which deep-sea canyons, underwater ridges and coral reefs are connected with the wider ocean.
Surveys in PNG have documented more than 700 species of reef fish and more than 300 species of hard corals. A wide range of migratory species travel through the area, including grey reef sharks, scalloped hammerheads, manta rays, green turtles, spinner dolphins, pilot whales and orcas (killer whales).
The region is also home to large populations of seabirds, and scientists have recently documented deep-sea species not previously recorded in Papua New Guinea waters.
While no-take provisions will be implemented across the new MPA, authorities have also been working with local fisheries to ensure that coastal communities remain able to provide food and income for their families.
‘Papua New Guinea is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet,’ said National Fisheries Authority minister Jelta Wong.
‘Establishing the Western Manus Marine Protected Area will allow us to preserve and protect our ecological legacy and, at the same time, ensure that our ocean continues to provide people with what we need – food and a source of income.’
The announcement follows a three-month scientific expedition conducted in 2024 by National Geographic Pristine Seas in partnership with Papua New Guinea’s Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Researchers documented healthy coral reefs and large schools of pelagic fish, but also identified signs of pressure from overfishing, including reduced numbers of sharks and other apex predators.
‘This is not just a beautiful place, it’s a highly connected system, where shallow reefs, deep-sea habitats and open ocean waters are linked, supporting species that move across them,’ said Lindsay Young, vice president of research at Pristine Seas.
‘Although these reefs are among the healthiest in the Pacific, they are increasingly under threat from global warming, overfishing and plastic pollution.’
Scientists used tracking data from grey reef sharks to help define the boundaries of the proposed reserve, as they travelled between shallow reefs and deep-sea habitats in search of prey.
The movements of seabirds, which can travel more than 200 nautical miles from their nesting sites to find food, were also used to determine the MPA’s limits.
‘Our ancestors have always lived in harmony with the sea, but today, we are writing a new chapter for our children,’ said Powes Parkop, governor of the National Capital District, who grew up in Manus Province.
‘To see the waters of Western Manus recognised as the largest marine protected area in Papua New Guinea fills my heart with a profound sense of Lapan pride. We aren’t just protecting fish or coral; we are safeguarding our identity.
‘By standing as the guardians of this sanctuary, our province is showing the rest of the world that we have the strength to preserve our “blue heritage” while ensuring our reefs remain vibrant and full of life for generations to come.
‘This is more than a sanctuary; it is our legacy.’
Fishing will be banned within the MPA, which covers an area where 6.7 per cent of the country’s industrial fishing grounds and 10 per cent of its tuna fisheries.
The fishing ban is expected to sustain the local fishing industry as populations regrow and spill over into the areas outside the MPA’s boundaries, where fishing will still be permitted.
A 2022 study by researchers from the University of Hawai’i found that tuna catch rates at the boundaries of large-scale MPAs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have increased by an average of 12-18 per cent where no-take zones have been enforced.
‘With the historic announcement of the Western Manus Marine Protected Area, Papua New Guinea has demonstrated its incredible leadership on ocean conservation on a global scale,’ stated Kevin Chand, senior director of Pacific policy at Pristine Seas.
‘This is an important step toward achieving global 30×30 conservation targets while safeguarding some of the most unique and rich marine biodiversity in the world.
‘The government of Papua New Guinea has based its decision to establish this MPA on sound science showing that protection can support local communities while promoting a sustainable fishing industry.
‘Large-scale MPAs are uniquely capable of protecting entire ecosystems, including migratory species.’
The PNG government said the protected area would now move into the formal legal designation process.
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