Papua New Guinea Creates Massive Ocean Sanctuary to Protect Sharks, Coral Reefs and Fisheries

New “no-take” sanctuary in the Bismarck Sea aims to safeguard sharks, whales, coral reefs and the future of Pacific fisheries.

In the warm waters north of Papua New Guinea, where coral reefs plunge into some of the deepest nearshore canyons on Earth, a remarkable ocean world is still thriving. Spinner dolphins weave through the swells, gray reef sharks patrol reef drop-offs, and manta rays glide above coral gardens that scientists describe as among the healthiest left in the Pacific.

Now, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is taking a dramatic step to protect it.

At the inaugural Melanesian Ocean Summit in Port Moresby this week, the government announced plans to establish the Western Manus Marine Protected Area — a vast “no-take” sanctuary covering roughly 200,000 square kilometers of ocean, nearly the size of the United Kingdom. Once formally designated, it will become the largest marine protected area in Melanesia and one of the Pacific’s most ambitious conservation initiatives.

The proposed reserve lies within the biologically rich Bismarck Sea and will form part of the broader Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves (MOCOR), a regional conservation network linking protected waters across Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu. Officials say the sanctuary is designed not only to preserve biodiversity but also to secure food supplies and fisheries for future generations.

“Papua New Guinea is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet,” said Jelta Wong, minister of the country’s National Fisheries Authority, during the announcement. He described the sanctuary as a way to preserve the nation’s ecological heritage while ensuring the ocean continues to provide food and income for local communities.

A Living Highway Beneath the Sea

Scientists refer to the Western Manus region as a “marine highway” — an underwater landscape of ridges, mountains and canyons that connects shallow reefs with the deep ocean.

These interconnected habitats support an extraordinary range of marine life. Surveys have recorded more than 700 reef fish species and over 300 species of hard corals in PNG waters. The region is also home to endangered scalloped hammerheads, silky sharks, blacktip sharks, green turtles, spinner dolphins, pilot whales, killer whales and deep-sea creatures rarely seen elsewhere.

Some species discovered during recent expeditions had never before been documented in Papua New Guinea.

In 2024, National Geographic Pristine Seas partnered with PNG’s Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) and the Wildlife Conservation Society on a three-month scientific expedition to explore the region’s remote waters. Researchers documented vibrant coral ecosystems alongside troubling warning signs, including declining populations of large predators such as sharks — often considered indicators of overfishing.

The expedition also revealed how little scientists still know about these waters. Researchers identified deep-sea species including the elusive yokozuna slickhead, underscoring the urgency of protecting ecosystems before industrial pressures intensify.

“At a time when coral reefs are in crisis, it’s exciting to see the Western Islands still shimmering with healthy corals and schools of fish,” said Lindsay Young, vice president of research at Pristine Seas. She described the area as “a highly connected system” where shallow reefs, deep-sea habitats and open ocean waters all depend on one another.

Conservation and Communities

Unlike many conservation projects that spark fears of economic disruption, PNG officials insist the sanctuary has been designed with local communities and fisheries in mind.

The Western Manus Marine Protected Area would be entirely “no-take,” meaning commercial fishing and extractive activities would be prohibited within its boundaries. However, officials emphasized that the protected zone lies outside provincial fishing grounds and was carefully planned to preserve local access to traditional fishing areas.

The government argues that protecting large ecosystems can ultimately strengthen fisheries through a process known as “spillover,” where fish populations increase inside protected waters and migrate into surrounding fishing grounds.

Research from large marine protected areas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans has shown tuna catch rates rising by an average of 12 to 18 percent near reserve boundaries. PNG officials believe the same effect could help replenish regional fish stocks over time.

The proposed sanctuary currently overlaps with areas responsible for approximately 6.7 percent of the country’s industrial fishing and around 10 percent of industrial tuna fishing. Even so, policymakers say the long-term economic benefits of healthier fisheries outweigh the short-term restrictions.

“Our ancestors have always lived in harmony with the sea, but today we are writing a new chapter for our children,” said Powes Parkop, governor of the National Capital District and a native of Manus Province. He described the sanctuary as a way of protecting not just wildlife, but also cultural identity and “blue heritage.”

A Global Push Toward 30×30

The announcement comes amid growing international momentum to protect the world’s oceans.

Papua New Guinea has pledged to conserve 30 percent of its marine waters by 2030 — part of the global “30×30” target adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Conservationists argue that large-scale protected areas are essential for preserving migratory species and entire ecosystems in the face of climate change, overfishing and pollution.

Yvonne Tio, executive manager of PNG’s Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, said the country is taking its 30×30 commitment seriously.

“This new MPA brings us one large step closer to that goal,” she said, adding that the government’s process for selecting protected areas “always puts communities first.”

Environmental groups around the world welcomed the announcement.

Bloomberg Philanthropies called the proposed sanctuary “a powerful step” toward global ocean conservation goals, while National Geographic Pristine Seas praised PNG for basing its decision on scientific evidence showing that large protected areas can benefit both biodiversity and local economies.

Kevin Chand, senior director of Pacific policy at Pristine Seas, described the initiative as “an important step toward achieving global 30×30 conservation targets while safeguarding some of the most unique and rich marine biodiversity in the world.”

Protecting a Rare Refuge

The stakes could hardly be higher.

Across the tropics, coral reefs are under mounting pressure from marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, plastic pollution and unsustainable fishing. Scientists warned that many reefs could face severe degradation within decades if warming trends continue.

Yet parts of the Western Manus region remain unusually resilient.

Marine researcher Ali Green, who first surveyed the reefs two decades ago, said it was remarkable to return and find many ecosystems still thriving.

“This MPA will not only be very important to build a resilient network of MPAs for Papua New Guinea,” Green said, “but it will also be a major contribution to establishing a network of MPAs throughout the Coral Triangle.”

For now, the sanctuary remains a proposal. PNG’s government must still complete the legal designation process before protections become permanent.

But conservationists say the announcement alone sends a strong signal: one of the world’s richest marine nations is betting that protecting the ocean is not a barrier to prosperity, but a pathway to it.

And in a region where ancient cultures have long depended on the sea, the Western Manus Marine Protected Area may become more than a conservation milestone. It could emerge as a model for how nations balance ecological protection, cultural stewardship and economic survival in an era of accelerating environmental change.

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