Vanuatu’s National Ocean Policy 2016.

Vanuatu’s National Ocean Policy is a sectoral policy prepared with the purpose to achieve an ocean governance framework that supports traditional marine resource management practices and knowledge and manages all line agencies with responsibility for maritime and ocean affairs, and harmonizes national actions in relation to the marine resources of the Republic of Vanuatu.
To make the marine environment more sustainable efforts will focus on protection, maintenance or restoration of natural and physical features, processes and biological diversity including through traditional management systems; ensuring the ecologically sustainable use of marine resources through relevant legal and traditional management frameworks; engaging and empowering traditional leaders and communities in marine resource protection; reducing the impact of all sources of pollution (including land-based, solid waste, shipwrecks and shipping pollution) on the marine environment.
To enable more efficient ocean management systems, efforts will focus on: 1) negotiating and formalizing Vanuatu’s maritime boundaries with neighboring states in order to secure, exercise and protect rights and jurisdiction over marine areas and resources; 2) establishing, strengthening, and implementing effective governance mechanisms at all levels, including traditional governance mechanisms, that contribute to the implementation of National Ocean Policy; 3) promoting public awareness, participation and government accountability through media, education, outreach programmes, and stewardship initiatives; 4) increasing knowledge and capacity building because only through a consistent and sustained investment in scientific research will it be possible to create a solid basis for the right management decisions.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters efforts will focus on building resilience and managing for uncertainty. To this end, appropriate adaptation and resilience-building strategies need to be incorporated into sustainable development, conservation and governance actions at all levels, National Disaster Prevention and Response Plans in relation to risk management in marine and coastal areas will be adopted and implemented, protection of naturally resistant or resilient areas including coral reefs, integration of uncertainty into marine protected area planning, management & evaluation, establishment of controls on the removal of beach sediment, and application of adaptive management in coastal and marine areas, including working with traditional leaders, when implementing this policy.
Regarding governance the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be the lead national agency for implementing the Ocean Policy and providing a coordination role among all national agencies with a responsibility for the management of ocean space and resources. A National Oceans Council will be established to report and make recommendations to National Committee on Maritime Boundary Delimitation for decisions. The National Oceans Council will be formed of senior representatives drawn from Departments of Mines, Environment, Foreign Affairs, Fisheries, Climate Change, Ports and Tourism and representatives from the Council of Chiefs, private sector, local NGOs, civil society (including churches) and key marine user groups.