BY NED GAGAHE
Polycarp Paea, minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology, and MP for Malaita Outer Islands, has made a strong call to protect the oceans.
He delivered an important update on the Melanesian Ocean Reserve (MOR) at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIFL) meeting.
His message was clear: the oceans that sustain us must be protected.
For Paea, this initiative is deeply personal. “We are Ocean people,” he said, drawing on his roots in the Ontong Java atoll in the Solomon Islands.
“I come from a place where the ocean is our livelihood. Our lagoon is 100 times the size of our land. Our food, our income, our culture, everything comes from the ocean.”
For Paea and many in the region, the Melanesian Ocean Reserve is not just a project, but a lifeline for future generations.
The Melanesian Ocean Reserve, a landmark commitment announced in June 2025 at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, is set to become the first Indigenous-led multinational ocean reserve.
Spanning a staggering 6 million square kilometres, it covers waters of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and extends to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of New Caledonia, an area roughly the size of the Amazon Rainforest.
“This is our sacred heritage,” Paea declared.
“Our oceans are not just lines on a map; they are the foundation of who we are, our culture, our livelihoods, and our very identity as island people.”
The reserve is being hailed as a testament to the enduring relationship between the Melanesian people and the sea, a relationship built on care, respect, and sustainable stewardship.
The Solomon Islands Cabinet formally endorsed the draft Melanesian Ocean Reserve Declaration in May 2025, committing to a collective vision of ocean conservation that goes beyond just protecting marine resources, it is about safeguarding a way of life.
“Our connection to the ocean is one of coexistence and care, not dominion,” Paea said.
“Today, we are not just representatives of our governments, we are the custodians of a sacred legacy, one that binds us to the ocean and to each other.”
