Overview:
Palau has taken another step toward safeguarding its ocean future. As sea levels rise and marine resources face increasing pressure, President Surangel Whipps Jr. has signed the Ocean Sustainability Policy, a framework designed to guide the management of the nation's vast marine territory while balancing conservation, economic development and community needs.
By: Ngeldei Tulop
KOROR, Palau (Island Times) — For a nation spread across hundreds of islands and surrounded by one of the world’s largest marine territories, the challenges facing Palau extend far beyond its shores.
Those challenges — rising waters, shifting fish stocks and growing pressure on coastal environments — formed the backdrop Tuesday as President Surangel Whipps Jr. signed Palau’s Ocean Sustainability Policy, a framework intended to guide how the country manages its vast maritime domain while supporting local communities.
The signing coincides with World Ocean Week, an annual observance highlighting the importance of healthy seas, climate resilience and science-driven decision-making.
For Pacific island countries, the issues are increasingly urgent.
Data collected over decades by the Coral Reef Research Foundation indicate sea levels around Palau have risen by roughly 2.3 to 3 millimeters annually. Scientists say continued increases could affect shorelines, infrastructure and habitats that support both biodiversity and livelihoods.
Against that backdrop, Palau is expanding efforts to determine how different parts of its waters can best serve multiple purposes, from fishing and tourism to cultural practices and environmental protection.
The initiative builds on a marine spatial planning process first announced by Whipps during the 2022 Our Ocean Conference. Supported by approximately $1.7 million in funding, the effort seeks to establish a comprehensive blueprint for the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, an area that covers more than 600,000 square kilometers.
Officials describe the approach as a way to reduce conflicts among competing uses while ensuring resources remain available for future generations.
The move also reflects discussions taking place well beyond Palau.
Earlier this year, Whipps served as co-chair of the Island States Ocean Summit in Tokyo, where leaders examined ways island nations can strengthen climate adaptation through Sustainable Ocean Planning and Management. The gathering was hosted by the Nippon Foundation alongside UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The summit emphasized cooperation among countries facing similar vulnerabilities despite being separated by thousands of miles of open water.
That spirit of collaboration has long shaped Palau’s role in regional fisheries management.
Through the Palau-Nauru Agreement, member countries coordinate measures aimed at maintaining healthy tuna populations while improving economic returns from one of the Pacific’s most valuable resources. The arrangement is widely regarded as one of the region’s most significant fisheries partnerships and has helped participating nations strengthen oversight of commercial fishing activities.
According to the Coral Reef Research Foundation, Palau played a key role in the development of the agreement and continues to manage tuna harvests through the framework established by its members.
The country’s efforts have also received support from international partners. In 2018, the Nippon Foundation donated the patrol vessel PSS Kedam, enhancing Palau’s ability to monitor its waters and enforce maritime regulations across a vast area.
The newly signed framework further aligns with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, adopted by Pacific Islands Forum leaders as a long-term vision for addressing regional priorities ranging from climate adaptation and economic growth to security and resource management.
While the challenges confronting island nations continue to evolve, Tuesday’s signing underscored a message increasingly echoed across the Pacific: that the future of communities, economies and cultures remains closely tied to the health of the waters that surround them.
For Palau, officials say the goal is straightforward — ensuring that the country’s marine resources continue to sustain its people while preserving the natural systems on which they depend.