It appears that in Papua New Guinea almost all or over a half of its coastal provinces are endowed with coral reefs and its associated resources. Subsistence and artisanal fishing activity is predominant. Over the years reefs were used as a means for food, medicine, transport and many other ways that has sustained livelihood of the coastal communities who depend directly on them. Each fishing community has in its own ways in exploiting the reefs surrounding it. Mostly these activities were small scale anthropogenic fishing activity on the reefs. It wasn’t until commercialization of reef resources then the inevitable happened. Resources became scares and NGOs started their ad-hoc campaign to try to save the reefs and their resources. Little did they know that their strategy were to far from reality... so you see... Conservation of coastal marine resources is supposed to be implemented locally by the resource owners themselves. They have to be convicted somehow and thats gonna come from within themselves. Stakeholders involved such as NGO groups, Donor agencies, and the Government of the day are to be the facilitators. Coastal people need to feel they can earn something from their effort or that they may make a livelihood out of a sustainable use of the particular resource base. If the Donor agencies can fund and government can make legislation, the role of NGO groups become vital in coordinating and making sure the people’s concerns, and views are integrated into any conservation strategy that might seem to work in the local communities.
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