The Coral Reef InitiativeS for the Pacific (CRISP) aims to develop a vision for the future of coral reefs and the communities that depend on them and to introduce strategies and projects to conserve their biodiversity, while developing the economic and environmental services that they provide both locally and globally.

Fisheries Newsletter Number 128 (January–April 2009) In this issue of the Fisheries Newsletter published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and prepared by the Information Section of the marine Resources Division, the Coral Reef Initiative for the South Pacific (CRISP) program is highlighted. Download the newsletter (PDF File - MB)

Status and potential of Locally-Managed Marine Areas in the South Pacific: Meeting nature conservation and sustainable livelihood targets through wide-spread implementation of LMMAs - Study Report Hugh Govan The South Pacific has experienced a remarkable proliferation of Marine Managed Areas (MMAs) in the last decade. These protected areas, implemented by over 500 communities spanning 15 independent countries and territories represent a unique global achievement. The approaches being developed at national levels are built on a unique feature of the region, customary tenure and resource access, and make use of, in most cases, existing community strengths in traditional knowledge and governance, combined with a local awareness of the need for action, resulting in what have been most aptly termed Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs). The main driver in most cases, is a community desire to maintain or improve livelihoods, often related to perceived threats to food security or local economic revenue. In the South Pacific, conservation and sustainable use are often seen as inseparable as part of the surviving concepts of traditional environmental stewardship. The extent of this shift towards Community Based Resource Management in Melanesia and Polynesia is unprecedented on a global scale and is the subject of this report. Download the study report (PDF File, 1.62 MB)

International Marine Conservation Congress 19-24 May 2009, Washingon, DC, USA The CRISP Program coordinator will attend the International Marine Conservation Congress and present in the Governance II session on Friday, May 22 (from 10:00am to 12:00pm). The presentation is entitled: "Culture and updated traditional management tools for serving ownership in locally managed marine areas". View abstract.

11th Pacific Science Inter-congress 02 – 06 March 2009, Tahiti, French Polynesia The 11th Pacific Science Inter-congress, held in conjunction with 2nd Symposium on French Research in the Pacific, was attended by several CRISP members. The theme of the 2009 Inter-congress was "Pacific countries and their ocean facing local and global changes". An ABS workshop was organized by the Component 2C coordinator and the CRISP coordinator on "Access and benefit sharing of the research on the biodiversity in the Pacific". More information about the CRISP Participation at the PSI 2009

Reefs at Risk Revisited workshop Suva, Fiji on March 16 - 18, 2009 The Reefs at Risk Revisited project began in July 2008 and is scheduled for publication in mid 2010. It is an update of the 1998 global analysis of threats to coral reefs using new high-resolution data and improved modeling methods. The project is led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) in collaboration with many partner organizations. A three-day workshop will be held at the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Suva, Fiji on March 16 - 18, 2009. The Pacific is a focus of Reefs at Risk Revisited, since it was not captured in any of the prior regional-level publications. At the workshop, it is plan to share preliminary modeling results for climate-related and local threats and discuss ways to refine methods to capture the key threats to reefs in the Pacific region. The workshop will be attended by representatives from about 20 regional organizations. USP and the Coral Reef IniatiativeS for the South Pacific (CRISP) are helping to facilitate this workshop. For more information about Reefs at Risk Revisited: http://www.wri.org/project/reefs-at-risk/reefs-at-risk-revisited