Vanuatu

An international team of marine scientists and Reef Check volunteer researchers from Townsville, Queensland visited the Shéfa Province of Vanuatu on a 21-day scientific expedition in 2004. The expedition was organised in response to a request from the Efaté Scuba Association and Vanuatu Department of Fisheries to help build local community capacity to monitor reef health and the effects of recent expansions in aquarium fish exports from the region. The region’s marine aquarium trade holds the potential to provide a valuable and significant source of income to coastal communities, a key factor for sustainable economic growth.

The expedition team conducted an assessment of coral reef health and the impacts of this industry on the reefs surrounding Efaté. The team also trained 11 local dive and marine protected area staff in Reef Check and aquarium fish survey methods and helped to set up a national Reef Check Trainer with the tools to continue with this project.

This expedition was the first of its kind for Reef Check Australia and succeeded in providing assistance to coral reef stakeholders in Vanuatu, in capacity building for coral reef monitoring activities, as well as providing an outstanding opportunity to its Australian volunteers to experience coral reef conservation and management issues in the South Pacific.

Download Vanuatu Key Findings (124KB pdf)
Download Reef Check Vanuatu Report, July - August 2004
Download Vanuatu Workshop Overview

Reef Check Vanuatu is now coordinated by the Vanuatu Peace Corps in partnership with the Vanuatu Department of Fisheries.For the latest information on Reef Check Vanuatu, please see their newsletter, or contact them at reefcheckvanuatu@gmail•com.