Melanesian nations vow to connect and expand marine protected areas

This post is part of Global Voices’ May 2026 Spotlight series, “Global crisis, local solutions.” This series will offer stories of resistance and successful climate action, insight into how communities in the Global South are fighting back against the crisis, analysis of what this might mean for future generations, and more. You can support this coverage by donating here. Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Vanuatu have agreed to expand and connect their marine protected areas, affirming their commitment to prioritizing ocean health and the environment. This initiative was announced during the inaugural Melanesian Ocean Summit in May 2026, held in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Melanesia is a subregion of the Pacific. The network of marine reserves is named the Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves or MOCOR, which was conceptualized by the three Pacific nations “to forge a unified Melanesian front in ocean governance, targeting the absolute protection of our fragile marine ecosystems while empowering the cultural and economic livelihoods of our coastal communities.” MOCOR is the latest example of a Pacific response to the harsh impact of climate change. The region has historically produced low carbon emissions, yet it is enduring the extreme consequences of the climate crisis, with many of its island communities facing the threat of rising water levels and coral reef destruction. The interconnected marine reserves will cover at least six million square kilometers, and the project is expected to become the world’s largest transboundary marine protected area. Papua New Guinea’s Western Manus Marine Protected Area would cover more than 214,000 square kilometers of ocean in the Bismarck Sea, which the government calls an area nearly the size of the United Kingdom. It represents nine percent of the country's exclusive economic zone Vanuatu said it will allot 70,000 square kilometers in the Torba National Marine Protected Area, an area the size of Ireland, for the MOCOR. It is about 10 percent of its exclusive economic zone. Fiji has pledged 15 percent of its waters to be part of the MOCOR this year and vows to expand it over the next five years. Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat underscored the value of protecting the ocean. “We are not sacrificing our ocean to save it. We are choosing protection over extraction, and the long memory of our ancestors over the short-term interests of others,” he said. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka reminded fellow Pacific leaders that the duty of caring for the seas should not be restricted by borders. This initiative represents a bold and timely step forward, recognizing that our oceans do not end at national boundaries, and that our stewardship responsibilities must therefore extend across them. MOCOR is more than a conservation initiative. It is a platform for Melanesian integration. Enric Sala of the National Geographic Explorer in Residence lauded the unveiling of the MOCOR. “With this bold new initiative, the leaders of Melanesia are committing to protect 30 percent of one of the most biodiverse and important marine environments on the planet,” he said. Meanwhile, the Pacific Network on Globalization welcomed the MOCOR and urged Pacific leaders to translate regional commitments into binding domestic legislation by considering a regional moratorium on deep-sea mining, which has divided the Pacific community since some governments indicated they will allow the exploration and extraction of deep-sea minerals, despite its potentially disastrous environmental cost. Another highlight of the Melanesian Ocean Summit is the symbolic placing of a “message in a bottle” containing the pledge of the Pacific people. Here’s an excerpt of the pledge. To the technocrats out there, to those of you who in haste for profit of today’s generation, squandering the prospect of young Moana’s generation. Together, we stand not just as nations but as guardians. Guardians of a shared ocean that feeds our people, carries our stories, and connects every island across our Pacific Ocean. The ocean does not belong to us. We belong to the ocean. One people. One ocean. One future. Wansolwara. Melanesian nations have agreed to meet again in two years for another summit to review and broaden their commitments to protecting the ocean.