RESOURCES
Ocean Champions
Discover our network of Ocean Champions from around the world, driving ocean conservation and advocating for sustainable ocean management.
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Charles Vatu
Vanuatu Ocean Champion
Charles Vatu, Chairman of the Ward Council in Laone, Pentecost, Vanuatu, shares the importance of sustainably managing their coastal waters.
Five years after establishing the Laone traditional Tabu Marine Protected Area (MPA), the community continues to see lasting benefits.
Tabu areas are designated by local communities and are typically governed by customary rules that prohibit certain activities like hunting, fishing, or logging to help preserve biodiversity, protect sensitive habitats, and allow fish populations to thrive.
Thanks to the MPA, they are able to fish daily around its borders to feed their village while preserving marine life for future generations.
Elizabeth Terk
Federated States of Micronesia Ocean Champion
Elizabeth Terk, Conservation Director of the Micronesia and Polynesia Programs at The Nature Conservancy, talks about Marine Spatial Planning in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
This is a process used to plan the use and development of coastal and marine areas. It is a public, stakeholder-driven, and science-based process that uses spatial information about natural resources and human uses to determine the best uses of an ocean space through a comprehensive management plan.​
Moemoana Safa’atoa Schwenke
Samoa Ocean Champion
Meet Moemoana Safa’atoa Schwenke, a proud Samoa Ocean Champion.
Advocate for the ocean and former Miss Pacific Islands and Miss Samoa, Moemoana shares that “if we look back at our cultural foundations, our ancestors already left the blueprint of how to protect our oceans.”
Protecting Samoa’s ocean ensures that both the cultural and economic values of the ocean are preserved. Moemoana is committed to using her platform to empower communities and youth leaders to safeguard the environment and culture of Samoa for generations to come.