Melanesia
323
Chapter 12
Melanesia
Melanesia
occupies a wide swathe of the
southwestern Pacific Ocean, stretching
from New Guinea In the west to Fiji in
the east. This Is a region dominated by
high Islands, with considerable ongoing
volcanic activity In the west. A broad range of reef types
are found, though atolls are generally not as widespread as the extensive fringing and barrier systems
associated with the high islands. Overall this region
includes a vast area of reefs, making up about 14 percent of the global total.
Biodiversity is high right across Melanesia, though
there is a dine of diminishing diversity towards the
east. This trend is hidden in many national statistics by
an almost reversed trend of l
of reefs In Fiji have also received some scientific
attention. Even In these countries, however, there are
vast areas which remain unvlslted and undescribed by
scientists. The remaining countries are very poorly
known Indeed.
The first peoples to come to this region were
Papuans, arriving in New Guinea over 40 000 years ago
and reaching the nearby Bismarck Archipelago some
30 000 years ago. Much more recently, about U 000
years ago, another group, known as Austroneslans.
arrived by sea from the Southeast Asian areas of what
are now the Philippines and Indonesia. They settled In
coastal communities from the Bismarck Archipelago to
Fiji, and came to dominate most of the region.
The majority of this region remains under
traditional stewardship and most reefs are widely
utilized by artlsanal fishers. Traditional reef management at the level of individual villages, combined
with relatively low population densities, has helped to
ensure the continued sustainable utilization of most
resources, particularly away from towns and centers of
Western development.
Attempts to establish marine protected areas
along Western lines have only had very limited
success, but the rights of villages to manage their own
nearshore resources are now quite widely recognized
in legal and constitutional systems. This recognition
is important in maintaining traditional systems as
changes to more Western lifestyles and governance
take hold.
Left; Papua New Guinea has a diversity of reef life whicli rivals the Southeast Asian center of diversity. Right: Ouvea, New
Caledonia, a spectacular atoll formation which has tilted and uplifted along one edge ISTS038-7i-86, 19901.
323
Chapter 12
Melanesia
Melanesia
occupies a wide swathe of the
southwestern Pacific Ocean, stretching
from New Guinea In the west to Fiji in
the east. This Is a region dominated by
high Islands, with considerable ongoing
volcanic activity In the west. A broad range of reef types
are found, though atolls are generally not as widespread as the extensive fringing and barrier systems
associated with the high islands. Overall this region
includes a vast area of reefs, making up about 14 percent of the global total.
Biodiversity is high right across Melanesia, though
there is a dine of diminishing diversity towards the
east. This trend is hidden in many national statistics by
an almost reversed trend of l
of reefs In Fiji have also received some scientific
attention. Even In these countries, however, there are
vast areas which remain unvlslted and undescribed by
scientists. The remaining countries are very poorly
known Indeed.
The first peoples to come to this region were
Papuans, arriving in New Guinea over 40 000 years ago
and reaching the nearby Bismarck Archipelago some
30 000 years ago. Much more recently, about U 000
years ago, another group, known as Austroneslans.
arrived by sea from the Southeast Asian areas of what
are now the Philippines and Indonesia. They settled In
coastal communities from the Bismarck Archipelago to
Fiji, and came to dominate most of the region.
The majority of this region remains under
traditional stewardship and most reefs are widely
utilized by artlsanal fishers. Traditional reef management at the level of individual villages, combined
with relatively low population densities, has helped to
ensure the continued sustainable utilization of most
resources, particularly away from towns and centers of
Western development.
Attempts to establish marine protected areas
along Western lines have only had very limited
success, but the rights of villages to manage their own
nearshore resources are now quite widely recognized
in legal and constitutional systems. This recognition
is important in maintaining traditional systems as
changes to more Western lifestyles and governance
take hold.
Left; Papua New Guinea has a diversity of reef life whicli rivals the Southeast Asian center of diversity. Right: Ouvea, New
Caledonia, a spectacular atoll formation which has tilted and uplifted along one edge ISTS038-7i-86, 19901.