BY NED GAGAHE
In a landmark step for regional ocean conservation, Temotu Province and Vanuatu’s Torba Province have jointly announced the creation of a transboundary Marine Protected Area (MPA) spanning more than 374,000 square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean.
The announcement was made during a high-level side event on “Finalising Maritime Boundaries and Advancing 100% Ocean Management”, held as part of the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Honiara on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
Premier Stanley Tehiahua of Temotu Province and President Edgar Haward of Torba Province delivered powerful speeches at the event, underscoring the importance of cross-border cooperation and community-led stewardship of the ocean.
“Temotu may be remote, but our message is strong. With Torba, we will keep the Melanesian Corridor alive as a bridge of friendship and responsibility, for our people, our nations, and our Blue Pacific home,” Premier Tehiahua said.
The initiative builds upon the historic 2016 Maritime Boundary Treaty signed on Mota Lava, and the Tirvau Agreement of 2024, which formalised shared ocean governance between the two Melanesian provinces. Far from dividing the nations, these agreements have become tools to bring them closer — turning borders into bridges and shared seas into spaces of mutual care.
“These treaties and agreements do not divide us; they bring us closer together. They turn boundaries into bridges, and shared seas into shared responsibility,” President Haward added
The transboundary MPA is intended to address growing concerns over marine degradation, reef damage, and declining fish stocks that have affected both provinces.
Premier Tehiahua reflected personally on these challenges.
“When I was a child, people went fishing with just a hook and line and came back with plenty. Today, the catch is smaller, the fish fewer, and the reefs weaker. My children cannot see the same abundance that I once knew,” he said.
In response, Temotu has already begun setting up conservation buffers around its islands to allow the ocean to heal. Together with Torba, the provinces will now implement shared management plans across their adjoining waters, promoting sustainable use, traditional marine knowledge, and biodiversity protection.
The announcement has been welcomed by Pacific leaders and ocean advocates as a model for regional cooperation on 100% ocean management — a key goal of the Pacific Islands Forum’s Blue Pacific Continent strategy.
The transboundary MPA is expected to strengthen food security, enhance ecosystem resilience, and reinforce ancestral ties rooted in kastom, (custom) exchange, and shared stewardship.
As small island communities face increasing pressures from climate change, overfishing, and rising sea levels, the united leadership of Temotu and Torba demonstrates that local action can drive global impact.
“This is not just about policy, it’s about protecting the ocean that has fed us, guided us, and connected us for generations,” said Premier Tehiahua.
For feedback, contact:[email protected]
