1 COMMUNITY-BASED MARINE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY IN THE

This paper describes a community-based management methodology that was used to promote the sustainable management of marine resources, especially sea cucumbers, within a village in the Trobriand Islands, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. While recognising traditional and customary knowledge and systems, the methodology encouraged increased participation of resource users in decision-making. This was achieved by empowering community members to assess the awareness of their problems and to develop a plan to solve these problems. The community developed a marine resource management plan that included conservation and development objectives, and associated actions, to achieve the sustainable use of their marine resources. The community-based management methodology was successful in mobilising the community to take some actions to conserve their surrounding marine habitats and resources. As in other uses of this management approach, it is clear that certain conditions need to be met in order to increase the chances of developing and sustaining successful community-based marine resource management arrangements in the Trobriand Islands in the future