Review of Policy and Legislation Relating to the Use and Management of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Solomon Islands Source: Viliame Waqalevu MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND LIVELIHOOD TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF LEGISLATION ................................................................................................................................ i ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................... ii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. iv PART 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background of the Review ....................................................................................................................... 1 Review Purpose, Scope and Methodology ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Structure of the Report............................................................................................................................ 1 PART 2: MANGROVES RESOURCES, DEVELOPMENTS AND ISSUES IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ............ 2 2.1. Mangrove Area ........................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2. Mangrove Uses ........................................................................................................................................ 4 2.3 Threats to Mangroves .............................................................................................................................. 5 2.3. Mangrove Management and Governance .............................................................................................. 6 2.4. Discussion ................................................................................................................................................ 7 PART 3: MANGROVE POLICY CONTEXT IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ..................................................... 8 ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 3.1. Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 9 3.2. Development Policies and Plans ............................................................................................................ 10 3.2.1. National Coalition for Reform and Advancement Policy 2010 .............................................................. 10 3.2.2. Solomon Islands National Development Strategy: 2011 - 2020 (NDS) .................................................. 11 3.3. Environment Plans and Policies ............................................................................................................. 13 3.3.1. National Environmental Management Strategy (1993) ........................................................................ 13 3.3.3. National Solid Waste Management Strategy (NSWMS) (2009) ............................................................ 16 3.4. Climate Change Policies and Plans ........................................................................................................ 17 3.4.2. Solomon Islands National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) 2008 ......................................... 19 3.5. Sectorial Policies and Plans .................................................................................................................... 19 3.5.1. Solomon Islands National Strategy for the Management of Inshore Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) 2010 - 2012 ....................................................................................................................... 19 3.6. Discussion .............................................................................................................................................. 20 PART 4: LEGISLATION ............................................................................................................................ 22 4.1. Mangroves, Terrestrial and Marine Tenure Law and Legal Mechanisms for Conservation .................. 22 Terrestrial and Marine Tenure ......................................................................................................................... 22 4.2. Legal Mechanisms for Conservation ...................................................................................................... 26 Customary Law Conservation: Marine Taboos ................................................................................................ 26 Declaration of Protected Areas: Protected Areas Act 2010 and Protected Areas Regulations 2012 .............. 26 Forest Reserves - Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act [Cap 40] ......................................................... 29 4.3. Sectoral Legislation Regulating Activities which May Affect Mangroves .............................................. 30 Regulation of Commercial Exploitation of Forest Resources and Timber: The Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act [Cap40] ......................................................................................................................... 30 4.4. Regulation of Extractive Industries: Minerals and Petroleum ............................................................... 31 Mines and Minerals Act [Cap 42] ..................................................................................................................... 31 Petroleum (Exploration) Act [Cap 44] and Petroleum Act [Cap 81] ................................................................. 33 4.5. Fisheries and Marine ............................................................................................................................. 33 The Fisheries Act 1998 ..................................................................................................................................... 34 Shipping Act 1998 ............................................................................................................................................ 35 4.6. Mangroves and Cross-Cutting Legislation Regulating Environmental Protection, Pollution and Planning Law .......................................................................................................................................... 36 Development Control and Environmental Impact Assessment under the Environment Act and Regulations ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 Land Use Planning ............................................................................................................................................ 38 Land Use Planning under the Town and Country Planning Act [Cap154] ........................................................ 38 Land Use Planning under the Provincial Government Act 1997 and Local Government Act [Cap 117] .......... 39 Pollution Control .............................................................................................................................................. 39 Pollution Control under the Environment Act and Regulations ....................................................................... 40 Pollution Control under the Provincial Government Act and Local Government Act ..................................... 40 PART 5: NEXT STEPS - Summary and options and recommendations for policy and law reform ........ 41 5.1. Summary of findings of the policy review ............................................................................................. 41 5.2. Options and Recommendations for Policy ............................................................................................ 41 5.2.2. Community Participation and Consultation ........................................................................................... 42 5.2.3. Mainstream of Policies .......................................................................................................................... 42 5.2.4. Mangrove Protected Areas .................................................................................................................... 42 5.2.5. Awareness .............................................................................................................................................. 42 5.2.6. Ridge-to-Reef Management Approach .................................................................................................. 43 5.2.7. Mangrove Records ................................................................................................................................. 43 5.2.8. Community-Based Conservation ............................................................................................................ 43 5.3. Summary of findings of the review of legislation .................................................................................. 43 5.4. Options and Recommendations for Law Reform .................................................................................. 44 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 51 TABLE OF BOXES