Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity December 2017 Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Table of Contents Page Executive Summary 1 Part I Biodiversity Status, Trends and Threats and Implications for Human Well-being 16 1. Biodiversity importance in PNG 16 1.1 Human well-being 16 1.2 Socio-economic development 17 1.3 Biodiversity and ecosystems of PNG 19 1.3.1 Terrestrial biodiversity 20 1.3.2 Marine biodiversity 27 2. Major changes in the status and trends of Biodiversity in PNG 28 2.1 Biodiversity status 28 2.1.1 Protected Areas status 31 2.1.2 Species status 32 2.2 Biodiversity trends 34 2.2.1 Trends in Terrestrial biodiversity 34 2.2.2 Trends in Marine biodiversity 39 2.3 Case studies 40 2.3.1 Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program 40 2.3.2 Tenkile Conservation Program 43 2.3.3 Netuli Locally Managed Marine Area 46 2.3.4 Sustainable Wildlife Trade-CITES-Crocodile skin Trade 47 2.3.5 Sustainable Wildlife trade-CITES-Insect trade 48 2.3.6 Beche-de-mer trade 49 2.3.7 Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) 50 3. Main threats to Biodiversity in PNG 54 3.1 Landuse change 54 3.1.1 Commercial logging 55 3.1.2 Subsistence agriculture 55 3.1.3 Commercial agriculture 56 3.1.4 Mining 57 3.1.5 Fire 60 3.2 Climate change 61 3.2.1 Terrestrial ecosystems 61 3.2.2 Marine ecosystems 62 3.2.3 Coastal ecosystems 63 3.3 Direct Exploitation 64 3.3.1 Overfishing 65 3.3.2 Firewood 66 3.3.3 Subsistence hunting 67 3.3.4 Non-wood forest products 70 3.4 Eutrophication 70 3.5 Ocean Acidification 72 3.6 Invasive species 72 3.7 Roads 76 3.8 Over-exploitation 76 3.9 Destructive fishing 77 2 Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity 3.10 Climate change in a marine environment 78 3.11 Pollution 80 3.12 Extractive industries 81 3.13 Development corridors 83 3.14 Illegal export/Trade 86 3.15 Other Underlying drivers of biodiversity change 87 4. Business as usual scenario 88 Part II NBSAP Implementation and Mainstreaming of Biodiversity 89 5. NBSAP status 89 6. Implementation of the Convention 90 6.1 National Plans 91 6.1.1 PNG Vision 2050 91 6.1.2 National strategy 91 6.1.3 PNG development strategic plan (DSP 2010-2030) 92 6.1.4 Medium Term Development Plan (2011-2015) 92 6.2 Policies adopted 94 6.2.1 Papua New Guinea Protected Areas Policy 2014 94 6.2.2 National Sustainable Landuse Policy 2014 95 6.2.3 National Climate Change Compatible Development Policy 97 6.2.4 National Policy on Traditional Medicine 99 6.3 Institutions 99 6.3.1 DEC Corporate Plan 2009-2012 99 6.4 Programs/Projects 100 6.4.1 Community-based Forest and Coastal Conservation and Resource Management in PNG 100 6.4.2 Kokoda Initiative (AUSAID) 102 6.4.3 Multi-purpose National Forest Inventory (EU) 103 6.4.4 Enhancing Forest Enforcement Laws (ITTO) 104 6.4.5 Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (LEAF-USAID) 105 6.4.6 Biodiversity Offset (ExxonMobil) 106 6.4.7 Mangrove Rehabilitation for Sustainably Managed, Healthy Forests (MARCH-USAID) 107 6.4.8 PNG Marine Program on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security 108 6.4.9 Coral Triangle Initiative & CTSP 109 6.4.10 Marine Turtle and Dugong Awareness for Western Province 110 6.4.11 Strategic Program on Climate Resilience (ADB) 110 6.4.12 Coastal Community Adaptation Project (C-CAP-USAID) 110 6.4.13 Pacific American Climate Fund (USAID) 111 6.4.14 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 111 6.4.15 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) 111 6.4.16 Conservation International (CI) 111 6.4.17 Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) 112 6.4.18 Partners with Melanesians (PwM) 112 6.4.19 The Centre for Environment and Community Rights (CELCOR) 112 3 Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity 6.4.20 Centre for Locally Managed Areas (CLMA) 112 6.4.21 PNG Ecoforestry Forum (EFF) 112 6.4.22 Binatang Research Institute (BRI) 112 6.4.23 Institute for Biological Research (IBR) 112 6.4.24 Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) 113 7. Outcomes Achieved 113 7.1 Mainstreaming Biodiversity 113 7.2 Biodiversity integration into planning processes 115 8. NBSAP Implementation 116 Part III Progress towards the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets and contributions to the relevant 2015 targets of the Millennium Development Goals 119 9. Progress Outcomes 119 9.1 Progress of PNG towards the implementation of the strategic plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets 119 9.2 Progress towards Aichi Targets; an overview 121 9.3 Progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 7 124 10. What lessons has been learned from the implementation of the Convention in the country 125 10.1 Areas where achievements have been made 128 10.2 Areas where progress is lacking and challenges are encountered 128 10.3 Suggested actions to get back on track 129 REFERENCES CITED 131 FIGURES Figure 1: Tectonics and orogeny that may have triggered radiation of PNG’s megadiversity 20 Figure 2: Mangrove species richness 22 Figure 3: Sea-grass species richness 23 Figure 4: Amphibian species richness in PNG 25 Figure 5: Bird species richness in PNG 25 Figure 6: Mammals species richness in PNG 26 Figure 7: Reptiles species richness in PNG 26 Figure 8: Biodiversity of reef-building Corals in the Coral Triangle 28 Figure 9: Biodiversity of coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle 28 Figure 10: Map of survey and ad hoc collection locations based on compiled taxa with acceptable spatial accuracy 29 Figure 11a: Cumulative description of new frog species 30 Figure 11b: Species richness for frogs 30 Figure 12: PNG’s Terrestrial and Marine Protected/Managed Areas 31 Figure 13: Percentage assessed and non-assessed described Species for selected taxa in PNG 33 Figure 14: Number of threatened species by taxa IUCN 2014.2 33 Figure 15: PNG threatened Endemics for selected taxa IUCN 2014.2 33 Figure 16: PNG Red List Category Animals (IUCN 2014.2) 33 Figure 17: Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program’s flagship species 4 Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Dendrolagus matschiei 40 Figure 18: Map of YUS Conservation Area 41 Figure 19: Karua Kanu receives prestigious Whitely Award for YUS CA 42 Figure 20: Tenkile Conservation Program’s flagship species Dendrolagus scottae awareness poster 43 Figure 21 a & b: Tenkile survey work by locals 45 Figure 22: Map of Tenkile Conservation Area 45 Figure 23: Netuli Locally Managed Marine Area 46 Figure 24: Netuli resource monitoring survey 47 Figure 25: Crocodile nesting trends 48 Figure 26: Beche-de-mer measurement scheme 49 Figure 27: Map of Jomard Entrance (PSSA) shipping route 53 Figure 28: Ecological vulnerability of Forest Types in PNG due to current mining operations 59 Figure 29: Map of distribution of mangroves in PNG 64 Figure 30: 15-year Beche-de-mer production in Milne Bay Province 66 Figure 31: Piper infestation along Bulolo road, Morobe Province 75 Figure 32: 3-Month Average Sea Temperature 79 Figure 33: Projection of Degree of Heating Weeks of Sea Temperature 79 Figure 34: Reefs at Risk, all factors 80 Figure 35: Map of current mining operations 81 Figure 36: Map of current oil and gas operations 82 Figure 37: Hidden Valley overland mine waste conveyor belt 83 Figure 38: Development Corridors (proposed) in PNG 86 Figure 39: Sustainable Development Framework 92 Figure 40: Framework for PNG’s Protected Area systems 95 Figure 41: ExxonMobil Biodiversity Offset Framework 106 Figure 42: Map of PNG’s EEZ, eco-regions and bio-regions 114 Figure 43: Map of PNG Marine PoWPA showing PNG’s Terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas 115 Figure 44: MDG 7 Statistics from MDG 2013 report 125 TABLES Table 1: Species richness of PNG and World’s Higher Vertebrates 6 Table 2: Number of Areas under Conservation in PNG 32 Table 3: PNG Red List of Species 33 Table 4: Change in IUCN Red List category for PNG species 34 Table 5: PNG IUCN Red List Threatened species 35 Table 6: 15-countries reporting largest areas of primary forest 36 Table 7: 15-countries reporting greatest loss of primary forest 37 Table 8: Change in PNG forests (2002-2014) 37 Table 9: CITES-regulated Crocodile skin trade 48 Table 10: CITES-regulated Crocodile egg production 48 Table 11: Active mines in PNG and their waste streams 59 Table 12: Nitrogen Fertilizer Usage in Oil Palm 71 Table 13: Achievements of NBSAP 116 5 Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Table 14: Achievements of DSP 119 Table 15: Achievements of Aichi Targets 121 Table 16: MDG 7 status in 2013 125 6 Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Executive Summary A LAND OF DIVERSITY Considered as one of the world’s biodiversity rich countries, Papua New Guinea ranks among the megadiverse countries and the last frontiers for biodiversity conservation. This land of diversity hosts 6-8% of the global species, hosts one-sixth of known languages, and rivals Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo in terms of biodiversity wealth. PNG comprises the eastern half of the largest tropical island on earth, along with hundreds of smaller outlying islands, and its land mass only occupying less than 0.5% of the world’s total.