Weaving ancestral traditions with modern fisheries science, the Palauan way
By: Kaila Ferrari
Omar Faustino dreams about the oceans of his childhood. As an adventurous young boy, he spent his days swimming alongside bumphead parrotfish, sea turtles, and mullets as he spearfished above Palau's corals and seaweed forests.
Palau, a nation of immense ecological beauty, comprises over 400 islands that rise from the Western Pacific like clusters of green mushrooms. Omar's family has long called Melekeok home, a town of 300+ residents on the east coast of Babeldaob Island, the largest of the Palauan islands. Like all coastal communities, Melekeok is vulnerable to the compounding effects of climate change, which have already transformed the reefs of Omar's childhood into something unrecognizable.
Ngeschsiau, a vibrant stretch of coastline containing mangroves, seagrass beds, and fringing reefs, was a cornerstone of Melekeok's ecological, economic, and cultural prosperity. In the 1980s and '90s, the stretch of habitat supported food security, fueled tourism, and protected homes from powerful storm surges. But by the early 2000s, Ngeschsiau entered a period of ecological crisis. Overfishing, ocean acidification, and sedimentary runoff from the construction of the 53-mile Palau Compact Road devastated the ecosystem. Today, the coastline's once crystal-clear waters are warm, murky with high sedimentation, and emptied of an abundance of marine life.
In a recent survey of Ngeschsiau's mangrove area, fishers counted 43 species of sea cucumber and nothing else. "Spearfishing now is hard, but I love it at the same time," said Omar. "On my own, I try to be persistent and not give up because spearfishing also clears my mind and puts food on the table every night. And at the same time, it helps me with the shortcomings in my life and with my large family."
As Palau faces the pressures of a shifting world, the Melekeok community is working to bridge traditional practices with modern science to protect and restore the ancestral waters that bring such deep meaning to their life.
Finding hope in a new age of climate change
Omar traces his values and pride as a Palauan to the lessons passed down from his grandparents, parents, and uncles. "Respect the land, the sea, and everything," he shared, recalling his father's early teachings.
Those lessons led to a life of public service. Omar serves as a Melekeok State Legislator, a board member of the Palau International Coral Reef Research Center, and a member of the Palau Aquaculture Alliance. Outside of work, he lives his values as a farmer, fisher, husband, and father. Whether shaping policy in the capital or supporting conservation initiatives by the shoreline, Omar helps his community preserve Palau's deep-rooted traditions despite the changing world around him.
"Comparing what I did when I was younger til now, there's a huge difference," he said. Melekeok’s community faces unprecedented challenges. Fishing equipment has become expensive and strong eastern winds and unsafe conditions prevent fishers from reaching fishing grounds for six months out of the year.
"Nowadays, it's not easy," Omar explained. "But we try because we need to take care of our livelihood." When opportunity arises, he takes his children out to the reef to reinforce ancestral fishing practices like tying a reel, identifying fish, and tracking tidal shifts based on moon phases.
"I believe that this teaching is the best method," Omar added. "When you take this knowledge of yours and your passion and your heart of being Palauan and pass it on to children to learn."
Incorporating tradition into community-led fisheries management methods
The Melekeok Marina serves as a convening spot for fishers. Photo Credit: Jesse Alpert
The Melekeok Marina serves as a convening spot for fishers. Photo Credit: Jesse Alpert
In June 2024, Melekeok made history by passing Palau’s first Managed Access with Reserve (MA+R) fisheries management system, establishing the Ngeschsiau managed access area and the Ngermedellim marine sanctuary. This groundbreaking legislation grants preferential fishing rights to local communities and empowers them to restore the once-thriving fish nursery by integrating Indigenous knowledge with new data.
With support from global conservation organization Rare, Melekeok and the neighboring community of Ngiwal are deploying behavior change initiatives to promote sustainable fisheries and restore coral reefs in the Ngeschsiau managed access area. "We present Melekeok's fishers with the science that matches what their own traditional knowledge tells them about how to fish in these waters," explained Kevin Mesebelu, Rare's Project Implementation Manager in Palau.
Communities on the east coast of Babeldaob traditionally practice “fish run management," an approach that relies on local ecological knowledge of fish migration, mangrove tree germination, moon phases, tidal shifts, and seasonal trade winds. Rare supports local fishers in continuing this ancestral practice, while incorporating additional measures like registering with the national fisher registration system.
When discussing new fisheries management methods, Omar emphasizes the role of Bul, a Palauan term for establishing a temporary moratorium on activities like hunting or fishing that impact natural resources. He explains how local chiefs have been declaring Bul for centuries to protect wildlife — and the tradition lives on.
"Now, Bul still exists, but we apply foreign laws for enforcement," said Omar. "These two styles of regulations complement and go hand-in-hand with each other while having the same purpose. But one is enforced by our national government and the state, while the other one is enforced through traditional means."
"[Bul] is not meant to debilitate our people," added Bao Ngirmang, Melekeok's 91-year-old Paramount High Chief Reklai. "We use it to protect our basic needs for the purpose of not depleting our resources. We restore and replenish. Once it steadily increases, then people can continue to catch fish and other animals for sustenance. That is the way of Bul."
Leading with bold vision and unwavering commitment
Melekeok local Ur line fishing from a raft towed from the shore by friend Omar Fasutino. Photo Credit: Jesse Alpert
Melekeok local Ur line fishing from a raft towed from the shore by friend Omar Fasutino. Photo Credit: Jesse Alpert
Melekeok is showing the world that the future of ocean conservation lies in community-led action. Local fishers and village chiefs in Melekeok have been ocean stewards for generations. Empowering their rights to sustainably fish and manage coastal waters is a blueprint for Palau and all coastal communities working to maintain their livelihood, protect biodiversity, and foster economic resilience during the modern climate era.
As for the road ahead, Omar urges Palauans to keep traditional knowledge and family values at the heart of their decisions.
"We're only human, so we get selfish sometimes," he said. "But the strong spirit you have as a Palauan — the strong spirit and love you have for your country, the people, your family, and those values — make you learn how to conserve and how to take care of the things that we need to care for our lives."
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