Pacific Leaders Unite Tradition and Science to Protect Ocean

Dr. Salanieta Kitolelei, from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine, Dr. Simon Salopuka, Taumako Indigenous Knowledge Institution - TIKI and Leausalilo Leilani Duffy, Conservation International Samoa in a discussion about the weaving of ancestral knowledge with ocean science at the Pacific Island Ocean Conference.

In the packed conference hall of the Heritage Hotel, Pacific voices filled the air—not just through speeches, but in song, rhythm, and poetry. The Dreamcast Theatre Performing Arts group opened the Second Pacific Island Ocean Conference with an evocative performance, reminding leaders and practitioners why they had gathered: to listen. To listen to science. To listen to communities. To listen to the ocean itself.

The message resonated throughout the five-day meeting: protecting the Pacific Ocean requires a united approach that bridges traditional knowledge and modern science, grounding policy in the lived experiences of Pacific peoples.

“We all need to come together and look at a comprehensive, robust framework that allows different sectors to coordinate activities and work together in protecting the ocean—our resources for development and nation-building aspirations,” said Dr Filimon Manoni, Commissioner for the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC).

Unlike many international conferences dominated by policy language and scientific jargon, this gathering centred Pacific communities. Chiefs, fishers, youth leaders, and conservation practitioners spoke candidly about the challenges they face—from vanishing fish stocks to coastal erosion—and urged governments and scientists not only to listen but to act.

For Leausalilo Leilani Duffy of Conservation International Samoa, whose work focuses on biodiversity through community-based conservation, this is not new territory.

“When we talk about weaving traditional knowledge into science, we have already been doing the weaving,” she said. “We just need to expand more on it and showcase to the world how Pacific nations have always been integrated.”

Duffy stressed that while political battles may divide leaders in parliaments, the environment remains a unifying force across the region.

“As Pacific Islanders, we do not have the luxury of big countries. We are small land bases in big ocean states. If we don’t manage our oceans sustainably in the way we always have, the ocean will consume us.”

For Pacific peoples, the ocean is not simply geography—it is genealogy. It is history, livelihood, identity, and faith. Centuries before satellites and supercomputers, Pacific navigators read the stars, swells, and winds to traverse thousands of miles of open sea. This heritage still shapes today’s communities.

As climate change accelerates, Pacific leaders see this oceanic wisdom not as folklore but as a vital resource for resilience.

“It is the same thing; we just use a different language to talk about it,” explained Dr Salanieta Kitolelei, who studies the integration of Indigenous knowledge and marine species relationships. She pointed to coral restoration projects in Fiji where scientists and villagers work side by side, transplanting corals from warmer to cooler areas to replace dying reefs.

Scientific leaders acknowledged the irreplaceable value of traditional knowledge. Jerome Aucan, Head of the Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science, described how it often fills the gaps where data is missing.

“When we look at early warning systems and predictions of high sea levels during storms or cyclones, we are informed by the past,” he said.

In many cases, instrument data does not exist—so communities rely on memory.

“The only data we have is the elders’ knowledge of what happened that day. Some of this knowledge goes back 30, 40, or even 60 years. We use it to reconstruct past storms so we can improve the way we predict future ones.”

“This is not anecdote—it is evidence. And it is indispensable,” Aucan added.

Dr Katy Soapi of the Pacific Community (SPC) put it simply: “The Pacific has always been home to its own science. Our traditional systems of observing ocean health are sophisticated. When combined with new tools—like satellite mapping or genetic studies of reefs—we create powerful, holistic approaches to protect our shared ocean.”

That integration is now reflected in regional ocean governance. OPOC is working to embed both traditional knowledge and modern science into decision-making frameworks.

“We cannot afford to treat Indigenous knowledge as anecdotal,” said Manoni. “It is evidence, tested and lived for generations. Science and tradition together give us the most complete picture of how to manage our ocean.”

One striking example comes from fisheries management. Dr Noan Pakop, Director General of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), highlighted how community practices have influenced modern policy.

“Our communities have long used tabu areas—closing off reefs to allow fish to regenerate,” he said.

“These practices mirror modern conservation methods. By combining local observations with scientific stock data, we’ve built stronger, more sustainable tuna management systems that benefit all Pacific nations.”

Yet challenges remain. In global negotiations on climate, biodiversity, and ocean governance, Western science still tends to dominate. Pacific leaders called for more equitable recognition of their knowledge systems.

The conference voiced a collective vision: a Pacific that protects 100 percent of its ocean and sustainably manages at least 30 percent, in line with global biodiversity targets. But leaders stressed the path must be uniquely Pacific—rooted in community, culture, and connection.

This is more than conservation. It is survival. Rising seas are already swallowing coastlines, warming waters threaten fisheries and food security, and cyclones are intensifying.

Yet the Pacific is not a victim narrative—it is a leadership story. From coral transplanting in Fijian villages to elders’ storm memories shaping predictive models to tuna management blending tabu with satellite data, the Pacific is charting a course where ancient wisdom and modern science sail together.

As Leilani Duffy reminded delegates:

“Conservation is not something we imported. It has always been part of our lives. The challenge now is to make sure the world listens to what we already know.”

As the conference in Honiara came to a close, that call to listen lingered—a reminder that protecting the ocean is not just about policies and frameworks, but also about stories, memories, and the wisdom of people whose genealogy is written in the waves.