Solomon Islands Community Based Coastal and Marine Resource Management Strategy 2021 - 2025.

The Solomon Islands Community Based Coastal and Marine Resource Management Strategy is a national policy with a cross-sectoral approach. The timeframe of this policy is 5 years covering the period from 2021 and 2025. The vision of this policy is to ensure healthy and resilient marine and coastal resources and their sustainable management that contributes to the socio-economic needs and food security of all Solomon Islanders. The national targets of this policy are to achieve 25% of Solomon Islands coastal, watershed and inshore area under 40% improved management through community based resource management (CBRM) by 2025.
This policy gives emphasis on the scaling-up of CBRM which strengthens ongoing CBRM initiatives, such as awareness, CBRM trainings, development of community fisheries management plans, coastal and marine resource monitoring and baseline surveys in order to maximize community benefits in terms of livelihoods, food and nutritional security, health and resilient ecosystems and communities, with the support and commitment from the national government, provincial government and the National CBRM Network. The provincial government CBRM Programs will be conducted for driving provincial level targets, in order to scale up and improve support for CBRM, provide ongoing mentoring and guidance for communities implementing CBRM and seeking formal recognition for their Marine Managed Areas, conduct routine CBRM awareness and education, support the development and implementation of appropriate laws and policies to advance CBRM in the provinces, and provide a direct link between the provincial government and national level CBRM platforms. The National CBRM Network for Practitioners and Partners will be established to facilitate communication between the national government, provincial governments and partners; foster the use of best practices and most efficient approaches to support the scaling up and improvement for CBRM support; advocate for the communities engaged in CBRM at the national and regional levels; and guide ongoing efforts to further strengthen and expand efforts to support CBRM across the country. The CBRM Information, Education and Communication Program will be developed to reach 50% of all coastal communities by 2025. This Program stresses on the dissemination of information and primary awareness, education activities and materials to support the implementation of CBRM across the country. The National CBRM Capacity Building Training Program identifies training needs and manages the implementation of capacity building trainings and workshops provided for national and provincial staff, community leaders and partners on community facilitation, resource management, establishment of MMAs/MPAs and enforcement which are important to support the implementation of CBRM. This Program will be carried out by training practitioners and management committees working for CBRM on governance, finance, management and enforcement by 2025.
Sustainable livelihood options will be integrated into CBRM initiatives to ensure that communities will continue to sustainably manage their resources with food security and economic benefits, whilst conserving marine and coastal ecosystems and associated services. The Climate Change Adaptation Programs and activities will be integrated into community CBRM initiatives to ensure that communities are able to adapt to the impacts of climate change as part of marine and coastal resource management. Integrated Vulnerability Assessment will be carried out for communities implementing CBRM. The communities will be engaged in CBRM initiatives through fisheries species management, marine management areas and marine protected areas. The monitoring, evaluation and reporting system for CBRM initiatives will be established and the national and provincial planning will be informed. The status and scale of CBRM across the country will efficiently be tracked through the CBRM Tracking Tool and information. The effectiveness of community marine management areas will be monitored with Marine Managed Areas Management Effectiveness Tool.