Social Evaluation Study for the Milne Bay Community-Based Coastal and Marine Conservation Program png/99/G41 Jeff Kinch April 2001 unops contract for Services Ref

Many of the indigenous religious beliefs and traditional restrictions that may have had a beneficial impact on the environment are now disappearing. This is a result of the impact of education, the churches, the people's increasing mobility and exposure to new ideas and worldviews. One of the main things that is taking place in MBP is the segmentation and 'desecration' of daily life. In traditional society, the profane and sacred aspects of daily life were very closely related. Aspects of production and exchange, the regulation of access to resources, food taboos, leadership, religion, and social structure were closely integrated. With the arrival of the colonial powers, Christianity, and Western education, questions of religion have become increasingly separated from production and consumption, and many of the restrictions that were associated with them have been dissolved. More important in its consequences than the loss of environmentally beneficial religious restrictions, is the changing valuation of the environment, which results from the increasing monetisation of the rural economy.

Determining whether or not a traditional conservation ethic exists within the CBMMCAs is important when framing conservation and resource management measures. Where traditional conservation is weak or non-existent, as is the case in Milne Bay, the MBP and the schools need to be aware that a major education job lies ahead.

Papua New Guinea possesses a marine biodiversity of great national and international conservation importance. Milne Bay, the largest maritime Province in PNG, contributes greatly to this richness and has recently been acknowledged as one of the country’s most important areas for marine and coastal biodiversity (see Werner and Allen, 1998; Seeto, 2000). It is considered imperative to secure a representative sample of globally significant marine biodiversity in Milne Bay Province. The MBP can achieve this goal with the establishment of CBMMCSs in collaboration with communities in the CBMMCAs in a variety of species-rich, unique and critical habitats.

Nuakata, Iabam/Pahilele

The Deboyne Islands

Brooker
Brooker has had previous exposure to conservation though negotiations for a WMA, and previously had set up committee and put rules in place. The presence of the author during his PhD research has also raised community awareness over resource management issues. It also has had contact with tourism activities with sailing adventures during the 1980s. The Bramble Haven, which belongs in Brooker waters, has been previously targeted as a potential tourism spot and was an area to be developed as a WMA. Brooker has the largest sea territory of all groups; the best possibility for CBMMCSs in the author's opinion would be Jomard Island. This island is under dispute by all clans on Brooker, traditionally it was a no-go Zone and is a major turtle-nesting island. In recent community discussion they were receptive to closed areas and set asides, particularly at Niona Island. They have plenty of reef area to experiment with. Brooker is in need of sound community management as they have a high dependence on marine resources, and a high population density/per unit arable land. They are one of the major producing communities in all of Milne Bay for marine resources. Their reef systems are constantly intruded by illegal longliners. One possible problem for this community is the long running territorial dispute with Ware over the Long/Kosmann Reef.