FIFTH NATIONAL REPORT Executive Summary Vanuatu is an array of 83 volcanic islands that were formed during the Miocene Era. Her geographical location means that Vanuatu’s biological diversity has developed commonalities with Pacific Island Countries in close proximity such as that of Fiji and Solomon Islands. Vanuatu is fundamentally an agricultural society, where the majority of the population is involved in farm and fishing activities, either for subsistence, livelihood or cash income. The Overarching Productive Sector Policy 2012-2017 also identifies agriculture, forestry and fisheries as priority areas for economic development. In 2013, the Vanuatu National Statistics Office estimated the population of Vanuatu to be 264,000 people, with 75% of the population living in the rural areas. A large portion of the population still depends heavily on the Vanuatu productive sector therefore, the Government has a crucial role to play in defining a policy and institutional framework which both enables and encourages good participation and high performance from all sector stakeholders. The country’s development goals and priorities in the Priorities and Action Agenda (PAA) 2006-2015 identify the productive sector as an engine for investment, economic growth and employment. The sector’s contribution to the overall economic growth has required a strategic commitment by the Government. This is so the Government can support and facilitate an enabling environment for private sector operators. The need to protect and conserve the resources that are critical elements of the productive sector saw Vanuatu commit itself internationally to the Convention on Biological Diversity in the 1992. Since its ratification of this Convention, Vanuatu has made significant progress in ensuring it meets all of its obligations. There has also been a drive to substantiate the realities of natural resources within the country with scientific data. This is evident in successfully completed studies and subsequent reports such as The Natural History of Santo (2006), a biodiversity survey of Santo, The Vanuatu Freshwater Fishes and Crustaceans (2010), the Mangrove Ecosystems for Climate Change Adaptation and Livelihoods (MESCAL) Biodiversity Assessments and Technical Reports (2013), , the Lake Letas Limnology Study (2012-2013) and the Plant Inventories and Rapid Fauna Assessment of Conservation Areas on Santo, Malekula, Pentecost, Nguna Island, Efate, Erromango and Tanna (2009-2014). An important finding in the MESCAL Biodiversity Assessments and Technical Reports (2013) was the discovery of an additional 8 species of mangrove found in Vanuatu. This increases Vanuatu’s mangrove species inventory from 16 to 23. Vanuatu has also been fortunate to be given the opportunity to participate in the GEF Evaluation Process; a process which enables countries to reflect on their achievements through the different funding phases that have been provided by GEF. i The Evaluation Process has also had a focus on the results and the sustainability of the projects. The evaluation has come at a time when the country is embarking on several new programs and will be a useful instrument for Vanuatu to utilize to envision where we should focus our efforts in the coming years. One of Vanuatu’s very first milestones was the development of its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in 1999. Fifteen years later, the country is now reviewing its NBSAP to meet the 2020 Aichi Targets set at the CBD COP 10 in Nagoya in 2010. Vanuatu is attempting a more holistic and consultative process with natural resource owners ownership being seen at the very beginning of this process. The Vanuatu Government has been promoting collaboration and partnerships between NGOs, Government agencies and communities in the management and conservation of its natural resources in order to ensure that these resources are used in a sustainable manner. Vanuatu has also produced some outstanding conservationists in marine biodiversity; one of whom, the country was sad to lose in late 2013. Mr George Pedro, the Environment Officer with the local non- government organization Wan Smol Bag (WSB) is remembered and acknowledged for his contributions to turtle conservation in Vanuatu. This Fifth National Report is one that has been produced by the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation, with an aim to build the capacity of officers in the reporting process of multi-lateral environmental agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. The report has been has been divided into three sections: i. Status report of Vanuatu’s biodiversity ii. Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Vanuatu sectoral legislation iii. Overview of the Vanuatu’s NBSAP Implementation The production of this report has been made possible through the valuable contribution of many of our stakeholders. We take this opportunity to acknowledge you, and hope that we will continue to work together to conserve Vanuatu’s biodiversity. Thank you. Mr. Albert Abel Williams Director Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation ii Table of Contents iii iv Acronyms AusAID Australian Agency for International Development CITES Convention on International Trade on endangered species of Flora and Fauna COT Crown of Thorns DEPC Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation DoF Department of Forests EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone ENSO El Nino Southern Oscillation FADs Fish Aggregating Devices FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GEF-PAS Global Environmental Facility Pacific Alliance of Sustainability GIFT Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit IAS Invasive Alien Species IRCCNH Increasing Resilience to Climate Change and Natural Hazards IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature IWRM Integrated Water Resource Management J-PRISIM Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries MSP Medium Scale Project NARI-EU ARD National Agricultural Research Institute- European Union Agriculture and Rural Development NCS National Conservation Strategy NGOs Non-Government Organizations PoWPA Programme of Work on Protected Areas RAMSAR Convention Convention on Wetlands of International Importance REDD+ Reduced Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation SCBD Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity SLO State Law Office SPC South Pacific Commission SPREP Secretariat for the Regional Environment Programme SST Sea Surface Temperature TVET Technical & Vocational Education & Training UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity UNDP United Nations Development Programme VEU Vanuatu Environment Unit VKS Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta VNBSAP Vanuatu National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan VNSO Vanuatu National Statistics Office v List of Tables and Figures vi CHAPTER I: OVERVIEW OF BIODIVERSITY STATUS, TRENDS AND THREATS 1.1 Country Background Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean at 13-20oS, 166o – 172o E. There is a distance of roughly 1,300 km from northernmost island to the southernmost. The country’s coastline extends for 2,528 km long and comprises over 80 islands with a total land area of 12,336 km2, set within a 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of approximately 680,000Km2. Vanuatu’s islands are geologically young and were formed during the four main volcanic activity periods. The oldest islands are the Torres Group; this group of islands is part of the most northern province of TORBA. Santo the largest island in the SANMA province and Malekula, the larger island in the Figure 1: Map of the Vanuatu archipelago (Map MALAMPA province, were formed over 22 million extracted from 2012 Statistics Pocket Booklet, years ago. Pentecost and Maewo, islands are the VNSO) PENAMA province are the second oldest, and were formed between 4 to 11 million years ago. Futuna Island as the most eastern island in the TAFEA province situated in the south of Vanuatu and Mere Lava on the most northern province of Vanuatu, TORBA formed between 2 and 5 million years ago. The remaining islands were formed during the last 3 million years. The island building process is continuing and it is thought that about 20 percent of the Vanuatu land surface was formed in the last 200,000 years. Vanuatu’s climate can be defined by two main seasons, the cold (dry) season from May to October and the hot (wet/cyclone) season from November to April. Its position close to the equator however means that Vanuatu has a relatively uniform temperature throughout the year. The warmest month of the year being February and the coolest is August. In the coastal areas, daily temperatures average 26 °C in the hot season with an average maximum of 30°C and an average minimum of 24 °C. Extreme night-time minimum temperature in some coastal areas may reach 13°C. Rainfall is generally higher in the hot season than in the cold season. The wettest month in Vanuatu is usually March and the driest month is August. During the wet season, rainfall is particularly high on the windward side (southeast parts) of the bigger islands and scarce during the dry season especially on the 1 leeward sides (northwest part). Rainfall is variable on the smaller islands depending on their location and size. Afternoon showers are still a common feature of the weather in Vanuatu. Its geographic location in the Pacific means that Vanuatu is vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, subsequent tsunamis and tropical