The project officially begins in June of 2000 and strives to establish sustainably managed marine areas under customary tenure in the Roviana and Vonavona Lagoons, Solomon Islands. This initiative offers prospective students in anthropology and marine science ample opportunities to get involved in fieldwork in the region. 'This initiative will require: 1) the study of institutional responses of sea tenure regimes to a transforming socioeconomic and environmental context caused by demographic changes, transforming consumer demands, and coastal and marine fishery commercial developments, 2) the documentation and incorporation of indigenous environmental knowledge, particularly knowledge pertaining to fish spawning aggregations, 3) the study of regional marine foraging strategies, 4) participatory involvement of local communities in conjunction with the Resource Management Section of the Fisheries Division of the Solomon Island Government in developing and implementing an appropriate management plan. (from project webpage)
The Roviana and Vonavona Lagoons Marine Resource Management Project