<< More about the Ocean and Islands Programme

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• Past Interventions
• Current Issues for Tonga
• Programme Response

The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the ocean and island ecosystems of the Solomon Islands create both opportunities and constraints to its development. The recognition of these ecosystems, as components of the Earth system - a dynamic, complex blend of environmental, economic and social factors interacting in a myriad of ways - is absolutely fundamental to the understanding of sustainable development.

The overall goal of the Ocean and Islands Programme, to improve scientific knowledge of ocean and island ecosystems for the sustainable management of natural resources, demonstrates a clear role in ecosystem management, with interventions focused on mapping and monitoring the physical and chemical attributes of ecosystems, and providing resource use solutions and assessments to its island States membership. The Ocean and Islands Programme also provides assistance and support toward the development of sound policies and regulations, and meeting obligations under various treaties and agreements.

Outputs under the ‘resource use solutions’ and ‘monitoring the physical and chemical change in ecosystems’ components of the Programme can address many of the Solomon Islands’ issues that relate to sustainable development. These issues will need to be considered by the Solomon Islands Government when they develop their National Sustainable Development Strategy and related plan of action.

Past Interventions

Past interventions in the Kingdom of Tonga include:

• The investigation of hydrocarbon resources located within the seabed of the Tongan waters, made possible through the Tripartite Agreement ANZUS/CCOP/SOPAC Cruises in 1982 and 1984 respectively. The cruise agreement covered member countries in the Southwest Pacific, including Tonga, whose geological attributes imply the presence of petroleum potential in the depths of the surface of the Tonga Ridge and Platform (Maung, 1982; Greene, 1982). Data gathered was a build up from that previously acquired by commercial stakeholders (Herzer, 1984). Utilising multi-channel seismic, single channel survey, gravity, magnetic and sonobuoy seismic refraction data survey, data was obtained (Greene, 1982). In addition to investigating the petroleum potential of the country, assistance was also provided in the review of their Hydrocarbon laws (Havard, 1988) as well as recommended mechanisms that would ensure these resources remained competitive yet reflective of the Tonga government’s wishes. Further assistance was in the provision of a summary of all hydrocarbon explorations to the Tongan government to aid in the preparation and/or review of Petroleum legislations (Barclay & Havard, 1993). The hydrocarbon summations was inputted into a database and produced as a petroleum catalogue for the Kingdom, making available all necessary data needed in order to carry out a full evaluation of the petroleum potential of the nation (Butler et al, 1994).
• The development of sand and aggregate resources for construction purposes throughout the Kingdom of Tonga. Demand for sand and aggregates for construction purposes are high in Tonga. Rate of replenishment and meeting this demand does not synchronise (Kitekei’aho et al 1993 & Harper, 1989). The effects of over dredging in nearshore areas have resulted in the erosion or alteration of the some of the beaches of Tongatapu (Gauss, 1980). Alternative dredge sites were surveyed and sampled, mainly in the offshore areas and recommended alternative dredge sites for aggregates, as these areas would have little or no effect on the coastal areas of Tonga (Richmond, 1987). Clean sand sites were also sourced in the offshore areas of Fafa Island. High-resolution seismic surveys were carried out to confirm the quality and quantity of mineable clean sands in the basin within the vicinity (Smith, 1991). In addition to Fafa Island, the assessment of aggregate resources and sand mining in Vava’u was also executed (Min & Lee, 1999).
• Study of the coast of Hihifo area of the northwest of Tongatapu to determine the cause of the coastal erosion as well as provide recommendations on solutions for coastal protection (Howorth, 1984). The coast of Tongatapu was also monitored between 1997 and 1998 to gauge coastal changes resulting from cyclones and other natural events . A foreshore protection project was completed in Tongatapu in February 2001. The project was used to advise the Ministry of Works in Tonga on whether shore erosion has occurred due to climate change, and if the foreshore protection project provided an effective mitigation strategy .
• A Swathmapping cruise onboard the Research Vessel ‘Gloria’ traversed the Tonga seas from 1990 – 1991.
• Fellowship attachments of various nationals from of Tonga at the Secretariat.
• Acquisition of relevant data to support the extension of the continental shelf jurisdiction beyond the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Kingdom of Tonga .

Current Issues for Tonga

The following environmental, economic and social issues and concerns that can be addressed under the Oceans and Islands Programme, either wholly or in part, have been cited in various assessment reports and national development plans of Tonga:

• Need to ensure sustainable management of living and non-living coastal and marine resources.
• Need for information collection on coastal and marine resources and dissemination of data in an easy to understand format to improve community awareness and practices.
• Need to create alternatives for resource users to relieve the inshore fishery.
• Extensive coastal inundation and erosion.
• Need to strengthen national institutions for integrating environmental and economic policies for sustainable development.
• Need to coordinate closely the activities of government agencies to ensure effective integration of social, economic and environmental policy.
• Need to strengthen national policy-making and regulatory bodies with trained manpower and monitoring equipment with assistance from regional and multilateral bodies in terms of technical and advisory inputs.
• Need for technical training in technological skills relating to maritime vessels, and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture entrepreneurship.
• Need for environmental education and awareness programmes.

Programme Response

The following interventions that are currently under the Ocean and Islands Programme either address the current issues that have been identified in various assessment reports or contribute towards Tonga’s overall goal of achieving sustainable development. Some projects are undertaken across the region, including Tonga, while others are specifically designed to meet the requests of the Tongan government.

The following projects are currently being executed at the national level in Tonga:

• Assessment of coastal erosion problems in Tongatapu and Atata Island to determine the course of coastal erosion, provide possible mitigation measures, and raise awareness among local communities on the causes and effects of coastal erosion .
• Provision of support and advice to the Kingdom of Tonga on legal and policy issues relating to maritime boundary delimitation, the continental shelf, marine scientific research, offshore mineral policy, exploration and mining legislation, and issues relating to the Law of the Sea .
• Retrieval and storage of geological, geophysical, geochemical and other relevant physical oceanographic data, acquired by foreign researching states and organisations during marine scientific research (under both the national jurisdiction within a 12 nautical mile limit and under resource jurisdiction within a 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone) .
• Development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) of the Neifau area of Vava’u to improve planning, management and development .
• New satellite imagery of Hapai and Eua Islands was developed as a support tool for sustainable development initiatives. This imagery is a powerful tool for evaluating the status of the coastline and for use in infrastructural mapping and resource assessment .
• Offshore sand dredging implemented , and monitoring of the environmental impact of this dredging on the Queen Salote Wharf, in Nuku’alofa .

Other regional responses that directly impact and develop the needs of the Tonga nation include:

• The eighteen-year-old SOPAC-JAPAN Cooperative Deep-sea Minerals Programme, in its second phase (three years long) of stage two includes Tonga as a beneficiary State for preliminary mapping and sampling within its Exclusive Economic Zone. A marine scientific survey has been planned for late 2003 to assess the potential for deep-sea mineral resources, with capacity building through participation during the cruise and in processing and analysing the data immediately following the cruise . This is the first significant marine scientific research cruise to be conducted within Tonga’s EEZ and the results will determine whether there will be further initiatives.
• The Certificate of Earth Science and Marine Geology (CESMG) seeks to build the capacity of island member nationals in the areas of applied Geoscience and forms the basis, for some, to pursue higher education in degree courses in Geoscience.
• SOPAC’s monitoring of the physical and chemical change in ecosystems of island member countries embraces the philosophy of Global Ocean Observing Systems (GOOS), which advocates public access to long-term oceanographic data and information. The recently established regional alliance of GOOS, the Pacific Islands – Global Ocean Observing System PI-GOOS , seeks to ensure that relevant applications for ocean observations and resulting products from global, regional and national long-term observing systems are developed and made available to Pacific Island end-users in order that they can make better decisions for sustainable development.
• The South Pacific Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project provides tide gauge and other data, and related products, collected over the past fifteen years.
• SOPAC also offers assistance in the area of Ocean Governance, by offering professional development programmes for strengthening legal and negotiation skills of advocates for maritime boundary delimitation , the implementation of Part XIII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) through the provision of technical skills and policy advice and the coordination of the Law of the Sea related issues in their member country regions including the Solomon Islands.