Palau, the westernmost nation in the Pacific made up of 300+ islands, is globally revered for its protected biodiversity and lush marine landscape. In this Rare Quotes, Rare’s Palau lead Kevin Mesebeluu describes how community-led management of coastal resources is engrained in Palauan culture.
Full transcript
Why is Palau geographically unique?
Palau is the westernmost island in the Micronesian chain of islands in the Western Pacific. It’s as close as you’ll get to the Philippines. It’s made up of over 500 unique islands growing up out of the ocean like green emerald mushrooms. It’s such a productive location that it’s been dubbed the 8th underwater wonder of the world.
How is community-led management of coastal fisheries integral to Palauan culture?
So we have a practice called Bul, which essentially is a moratorium to do a certain activity or to fish in a certain place. So Palauans and the idea of sustainable fishing and using of resources, that idea is engrained in our culture and how we interact. And I saw that growing up.
How does Rare work with local communities to promote sustainable fishing?
I think Rare’s approach is really looking at the behaviors of each individual fisherman in each community and removing the barriers that prevent them from practicing sustainable fisheries and presenting them with the science that matches what their own traditional knowledge tells them how to fish in these waters.
How does the fisher registration system strengthen social norms and collective action?
You know, changing behavior takes time. It’s not an overnight thing. And so what’s special about our approach here is not inventing something new. It’s removing all the layers that prevent people from doing what they know naturally to do, which is talk about fisheries, make smart decisions based on data and evidence from other fishermen, peer learning, and make wise decisions to fish sustainably.
What is your hope for the people of Palau?
I see the Pacific region as an innovative ground for creating new strategies. They can be scaled up to the rest of the world. We see plenty partners, international NGO’s working around this space. My hope and my wish is that we continue to work together, share ideas. Really support the community and the people because, at the end of the day, we all breathe the same air. We all stay on this tiny bubble as we float through the cosmos.