Protected Area Network Act of the Marshall Islands

： Analysis on Stakeholders Responses and Capacity Development Needs

Abstract

The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), a low lying small island developing states in the Pacific, has set conservation and sustainable use of marine resources as a priority policy objective and RMI adopted in September 2015 the Protected Area Network Act (PAN Act). 63 marine managed areas were established as of February 2017. However, neither management plans nor resource management councils are yet established. The questionnaire survey and interview results reveal that the stakeholders are not aware of the PAN Act, but they are willing to support the PAN Act implementation while they exhibited the mixed reactions to the proposition of fishing ban or reductions. To facilitate the effective implementation of the PAN Act, it is deemed as necessary to support stakeholders’ participation in the PAN Act implementation and collective actions by providing financial resources and technical guidance.