Island Communities Research Articles

PREFACE

This is the 1st International Conference on Small Islands Community (ICSIC) organized by Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Pattimura University, Maluku, Indonesia. As an annual scientific activity of Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Pattimura University, this conference aims to facilitate researchers to publish and share their current research results.As we may be aware, the World Health Organization officially declared the novel coronavirus COVID-19 a pandemic. This global health crisis was a unique challenge that has impacted all countries in the world. In Indonesia, at that time, COVID-19 was widespread with continuing transmission across the country. The Indonesian government has instituted policies including mandatory compliance of travel restriction and social distancing. These restrictions were applied in each province, city, and/or regency. Considering this situation, ICSIC 2020 has been held virtually on December 12th, 2020. The uncertainty of the end of the pandemic is the main reason for the holding of this annual scientific conference and not being postponed.The theme of this conference was Momentum of Transformation of Small Islands Community in New Normal Era. and consisted of plenary and parallel sessions. In the plenary sessions, the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Lucky Adrianto from IPB University started the session and followed by six invited speakers Dr. Sophie Webber from The University of Sydney, Australia; Prof Dr. Sota Yamamoto, and Dr. Da-Jeng Song from Kagoshima University, Japan; Prof Dr. N Prachanat from Buriram Rajabath University, Thailand; Prof Dr. H Soselisa from Pattimura University, Indonesia; and Aleixo Leonito Amaral, MSc from National University of Timor Lorosa’e. The Keynote Speaker was given 30 minutes to deliver the current condition of Indonesia Small Islands Community related to the New Normal Era, and all the Invited Speaker were given 20 minutes each to talk about their current research and experience of the readiness of small islands community in their own country in welcoming new normal era.We accepted thirty-two abstracts from researchers who presented their most recent research in the Conference, and twenty-eight articles can be found in this proceeding. The parallel sessions were divided into four classes, and each class consisted of eight presenters. Presenters were given 10 minutes each to speak, and after the fourth person in each parallel session a 20-minute Q&A session was available. Zoom Meeting was used as a technology to deliver this Conference.We understand that the success of the conference depends ultimately on many people who had worked together in managing both the technical program and supporting social arrangements. Therefore, we would like to thank all committee members who had worked extremely hard for the details of important aspects of the conference programs.Thank you for your participation in this conference, we do hope to see you again in the next Conference.List of Committee, International Editorial Board, Local Editor, Organizing Committee are available in this pdf.

Increasing renewable energy penetration and energy independence of island communities: A novel dynamic simulation approach for energy, economic, and environmental analysis, and optimization

Nowadays, due to the raising research interest in net and nearly zero-energy concepts at community level, great efforts are spent to investigate self-sustaining and energy-independent communities. Small and off-grid islands represent one of the best places to focus the attention on, and to suit pilot projects of self-sufficient energy communities. In this context, the dynamic simulation represents a useful tool for designing, analysing, and optimizing islands’ energy system layouts, especially in case of renewable energy system adoption (due to the performance unpredictability of renewable energy sources). Therefore, powerful yet flexible dynamic simulation tools are increasingly in demand. In this framework, this paper presents a novel dynamic simulation model, developed in TRNSYS environment, purposely conceived to investigate innovative technologies, novel system layouts, and advanced control logics, in the case of small and off-grid islands, aiming at reaching the nearly/net-zero energy goal at a community level. To prove the potential of the novel dynamic simulation tool, a suitable case study referring to the existing island community of El Hierro (Canary Island) was considered and investigated. Specifically, to enhance the island energy independence, diverse scenarios and system layouts, including different renewable energy based technologies (e.g. wind turbines, hydroelectric power plants, solar thermal collectors, etc.) have been investigated by the novel developed simulation tool. Results demonstrate the potentiality of the adopted method as well as the feasibility of the proposed system layouts. Specifically, the investigated scenarios provide up to 85% of the annual electricity demand and about 79% of the annual thermal energy needs by renewable energy sources with substantial economic savings.

Phylogeny of Micronesian emperor fishes and evolution of trophic types

Island communities that rely on reef fish are currently faced with declining marine resources due to unsustainable fishing and climate change. Identification of genetic stocks through phylogenetic analyses has become a growing field of study with conservation implications, but genetic information on reef fish in Micronesia is limited. In this study we focus on Lethrinidae, one of the most commonly fished reef fish families in Micronesia. Our main goal was to establish a phylogeny for Lethrinidae based on Micronesian data with the intent to help future conservation efforts and clarify the evolutionary history of trophic types in this family. Thirty-eight Lethrinidae specimens collected across five Micronesian islands were used to build a phylogeny with three mitochondrial and one nuclear gene. The phylogenetic analyses allowed us to clarify the identity and position of 11 commonly harvested species and provided a novel genetic identification for Monotaxis heterodon in Micronesia. Our improved and dated phylogeny supports a new hypothesis for the ancestral trophic type of emperor fishes: “stalkers” with low-bodies and conical teeth. We correlated the radiation of most Lethrinidae species with the radiation of major scleractinian coral lineages in the middle Miocene, highlighting the tight relationships between declining reefs and the survival of emperor fishes.

Ecotourism development through biodiversity potential identification and community perception in the protected forest on Buano Island, Western Seram, Maluku, Indonesia

Abstract. Siahaya ME, Matius P, Aipassa MI, Rayadin Y, Ruslim Y, Aponno HSES. 2021. Ecotourism development through biodiversity potential identification and community perception in the protected forest on Buano Island, Western Seram, Maluku, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3179-3191. Forest as part of a large ecosystem has an important meaning and role in supporting living systems. Various great benefits can be obtained from the forests through its functions as a provider of water resources for humans and the environment, the ability of carbon sequestration, oxygen suppliers in the air, global climate regulators, and tourism service providers. The community has important role and participation in ecotourism that are different from other forms of tourism. Perception is a fundamental element that needs to be known before planning several activities that will involve the local community. This study aims to identify the potential of flora and fauna in the protected forest area for tourist attraction and analyze the Buano island community’s (Western Seram District, Maluku Province, Indonesia) perception of ecotourism development activities. The vegetation data were collected using the combination of the path method and the compartmentalized line method. The method used for collecting wildlife data in the field is the line transect method as well as direct and indirect observations. Meanwhile, data related to community perceptions were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The results show that the villages on Buano island have biodiversity and cultural potential that could be developed as ecotourism attractions. In addition, the community’s perception supported that they strongly agree on the development of ecotourism in the villages of Buano island.

Canoe-carving, Lamotrek style

Micronesian traditional canoe carvers of Lamotrek Atoll are one of the few Pacific communities whose canoe carving, ocean seafaring and indigenous navigation techniques are living traditions. They sail long distances on open ocean in these craft without instruments or maps, using traditional navigation techniques. Their building procedures involve no plans, no measuring devices or numbers. This kind of indigenous boatbuilding and seafaring was once practiced by virtually all Pacific island communities over hundreds or thousands of years, but the traditional knowledge has been eradicated in all but the most isolated and impoverished communities.

Public perspectives on health improvement within a remote-rural island community.

BackgroundRural health outcomes are often worse than their urban counterparts. While rural health theory recognizes the importance of the social determinants of health, there is a lack of insight into public perspectives for improving rural health beyond the provision of health‐care services. Gaining insight into perceived solutions, that include and go beyond health‐ care, can help to inform resource allocation decisions to improve rural health.ObjectiveTo identify and describe shared perspectives within a remote‐rural community on how to improve rural health.MethodUsing Q methodology, a set of 40 statements were developed representing different perceptions of how to improve rural health. Residents of one remote‐rural island community ranked this statement set according to their level of agreement. Card‐sorts were analysed using factor analysis to identify shared points of view and interpreted alongside post‐sort qualitative interviews.ResultsSixty‐two respondents participated in the study. Four shared perspectives were identified, labelled: Local economic activity; Protect and care for the community; Redistribution of resources; and Investing in people. Factors converged on the need to relieve poverty and ensure access to amenities and services.Discussion and conclusionsFactors represent different elements of a multifaceted theory of rural health, indicating that ‘lay’ respondents are capable of comprehending various approaches to health improvement and perspectives are not homogenous within rural communities. Respondents diverged on the role of individuals, the public sector and ‘empowered’ community‐based organizations in delivering these solutions, with implications for policy and practice.Public ContributionMembers of the public were involved in the development and piloting of the statement set.

Status of health and conservation classification of tropical coral reefs in Lakshadweep archipelago

Coral reefs of Lakshadweep perform a range of vital ecosystem functions and sustain the livelihoods of island communities. Coral reefs provide ecosystem services that are vital to human societies and industries through fisheries, coastal protection and tourism. The present study was undertaken during September and October 2015 to assess the status of reef health in 10 inhabited Islands of Lakshadweep following reef classification to imply conservation measures and also for the sustainable management by the dependent communities. Live coral cover, habitat complexity index, coral species richness, reef condition index, mortality index, morphological dominance, morphological diversity and coral conservation class were used to get an aggregate value of ‘composite condition’ index for determining the overall conservation values of coral reefs in these Islands. Kadmat reef had the highest live coral cover of 64.50% among the 10 inhabited islands. Bitra and Kiltan reef had good live coral cover of 62.75 and 52.25% respectively. The major benthic component in all the studied islands is live coral except in Amini and Andrott Islands. The recovery of corals has increased significantly in the last 5 years in Kadmat, Bitra, Kiltan and Bangarm after the 2010 mass bleaching event. Among the eight attributes, significant positive correlations were found between coral reef condition and live coral cover (r = 0.93, p 60% of stress tolerators. CC3 was assigned to Bangaram and Kadmat due to the presence of > 75% of ruderals. Mixed coral morphology was recorded in Agatti, Andrott, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, and Kiltan with approximately equal proportions of ruderals, competitors and stress tolerators, and these coral reefs were designated as CC4. Protection and conservation management measures, as well as sustainable resource use, have been suggested based on the live coral cover, conservation class, and coral reef health status.

Disrupted identities and forced nomads: A post-disaster legacy of neocolonialism in the island of Barbuda, Lesser Antilles

In the aftermath of the forced evacuation of the island of Barbuda due to Hurricane Irma, the Barbudan people have experienced an exile and return to a ‘new’ geographical, political, and economic context, albeit on the same island. With the specter of climate change and the potential impacts on island communities and nations, we use Barbuda, sister island of Antigua in the Lesser Antilles, to examine the trajectory of nomadic identities as they navigate changes that threaten contemporary land relationships and culture. Since its first permanent settlement in the 17th Century, the island geography of Barbuda has been fundamental to Barbudan identity and provided continuity into modern Barbudan culture. The breaking down of this close relationship with the land and the introduction of a tourism monoculture reduces Barbuda’s ability to respond to crises such as hurricanes and pandemics. In the challenge of a post-disaster economic context, we will address the conditions pushing Barbudans towards a nomadic identity. We will discuss the nomadic in terms of forced exile and subsequent return to an island changed both by a severe weather event and subsequent policy that is disruptive to Barbudan identity, sovereignty, and way of life.

“Qué Bonita Mi Tierra”

AbstractEmploying an anticolonial and anticapitalist approach to HIV/AIDS, the activists of the Latina/o Caucus of ACT UP/NY pushed beyond a biomedical framework of “drugs into bodies” that tended to dominate the larger organization. As US queer racialized/colonial subjects, Latinx AIDS activists enacted a queer and feminist decolonial activism that looked past the continental United States to the global South. In Puerto Rico, Latinx AIDS activists helped establish the first chapter of ACT UP in a Spanish-speaking country. Together, the Latina/o Caucus and ACT UP/Puerto Rico spearheaded a campaign against the colonial policies of the United States, the corporate greed of island-based pharmaceutical firms, and the heteropatriarchal investments of church and commonwealth officials—conditions that exacerbated the disproportionate rates of HIV/AIDS among Puerto Rican island and diasporic communities. Through these efforts, Latinx AIDS activists transformed the domestic and global fight against AIDS into a queer, feminist, and decolonial endeavor.

The 4-Site Pacific Transect Collaborative (4-Site)

Abstract The vastness of the Pacific Ocean, and the geographic isolation of its island nations, sets the stage for critical disconnects between the drivers and causes of climate change and their local impacts in Pacific Island communities. Pacific Islands, as elsewhere, face persistent local crises at the nexus of natural and human systems that have altered the way we interact with our environments, raising challenging questions about how to sustain the well-being of our communities, and their associated coral reef ecosystems. These ecosystems and communities that rely on them are “canaries in the coal mine” for climate change and biodiversity loss. At the same time, the scientific, technological, indigenous, and social knowledge systems that could contribute to sustainable futures are often siloed in disciplinary as well as political contexts. It is in this arena that the 4-Site Pacific Transect Collaborative seeks to work. The big question we ask is, “What knowledge infrastructure is needed to equitably and democratically support Pacific Islands societies in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and promote the resilience of coral reef social-ecological systems”?

Measuring accessibility and island development in Ambon City

Island studies has thus far mostly focused on the limitations, isolation and marginality of island communities. However, recent research into island cities, or urban island studies, provides an analytic lens or research perspective that can be used to understand an island’s diversity and to encourage researchers to identify island characteristics that have an impact on the function of cities and population centers on islands. One of the factors that inhibit the development of island cities is the limited availability of land area and resources, causing island city regions to depend on other regions to fulfill the population’s needs and provide basic services to the population, which puts islands in a vulnerable position because of transportation accessibility problems. This study was conducted using the Transit Opportunity Index (TOI) method to observe the relationship between transportation accessibility and economic growth in island city regions. The result of the analysis showed that transportation accessibility indirectly affects economic growth in every district/city in Maluku Province. Sea transportation accessibility better illustrates the condition of transportation accessibility of Ambon City and other districts/cities in Maluku Province compared to sea and air transportation accessibility.

‘St Helena, an island between’: Multiple migrations, small island resilience, and survival

St Helena is a non-sovereign British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. When full British citizenship was removed in 1981, migration destinations were reduced to Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands. The islanders of St Helena are not only transnational; they are trans-islander. With the return of citizenship in 2002, many St Helenians migrated to the UK, depleting the population on the island, creating doubts regarding the island’s future. Whilst the islanders defended their British national identity, they simultaneously questioned it. This paper demonstrates how although St Helena officially economically relies on the British Government, the islanders themselves support their island through economic remittances. This paper offers an insight into how communities survive during times when their national identity is ruptured. The St Helenian community remains intact; the islanders have ensured this. A suit of Bourdieu’s concepts have been utilised for a theoretically driven understanding of islandness. Islander identity is formed as outward-looking desiring opportunity, freedom of movement and capital, and inward-looking with a strong sense of feeling and attachment to the island. Continuity and survival for this small island community is composed of migration, shift, and rupture.

Usage of land and coastal waters of the outermost small islands for marine tourism in Indonesia

Investment in maritime tourism business opens opportunities for the outermost small islands to be explored in appropriate ways. To control the usage of the land, itmust be regulated by various regulations such as the requirements for business licenses, location and management permits, as well as the provision of right to build for use of land and coastal waters, which is important in marine tourism activities. One of the outermost small islands is Kepa Island in Alor District, East Nusa Tenggara, which is controlled by NuhaKepa Kai Limited Liability Company. The focus of this study is to emphasize the status of the land rights of the Kepa Island community, the legality of the control and usage of land and coastal waters for water tourism business by foreigners, and the role of the local government in granting permission and supervision to the foreigners. The research collected primary data through observation and interviews and secondary data through literature studies. The data then analyzed descriptively. The results of the study are the status of community land rights in the Kepa island involves individual land rights certificates; PT NuhaKepa Kai already has location and management permits but has not yet obtained right to build for land; and the issuance of permits and supervision by the local government are still inadequate and have not been coordinated with the relevant agencies.

The socio-technical barriers and strategies for overcoming the barriers to deploying solar mini-grids in rural islands: Evidence from Ghana

Energy access remains a challenge for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana is no exception as 15% of her population live in remote areas without access to electricity. In 2015, the World Bank Group provided funding for the Ghanaian government to extend electricity to some of her rural island communities. The government of Ghana chose to deploy solar mini-grids. Despite technological breakthrough with solar mini-grids and financial support from the World Bank Group, the deployment of the solar mini-grids still faced significant barriers some of which are embedded in the socio-cultural contexts of the Ghanaian rural island communities. Designed through a socio-technical systems lens, this study explores the sociotechnical barriers and strategies to overcoming the barriers to deploying solar mini-grids in Ghanaian rural island communities. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, and direct observations. The results show that different categories of barriers affected deployment of the solar mini-grids. The barriers are socio-technical in nature suggesting that the obstacles to renewable energy deployment in sub-Saharan Africa are neither exclusively social nor technical but a combination of both social and technical forces. While the social factors range from land disputes to illegal connections, the technical barriers include limited technical know-how to lack of qualified technicians. In suggesting strategies to address these barriers, the study participants proposed involvement of indigenes, training and transfer of technical expertise, and increased generation capacity. Based on these findings, the study outlines three policy implications on mitigating the barriers in future projects.

A Bayesian Network risk model for estimating coastal maritime transportation delays following an earthquake in British Columbia

Coastal communities are vulnerable to the consequences of disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Often, such communities are heavily dependent on maritime transportation for the ingress of essential goods such as food, fuel, and medicine. Major natural disasters can cause damage to critical infrastructures, causing disruptions to logistics chains and delays in the delivery of essential goods to vulnerable coastal communities. Estimating such delays is an important aspect of disaster preparedness planning, as it can support community-focused risk mitigating policies, improve emergency response operations, and help identify resilience strategies. In this article, a Bayesian Network risk model is developed for estimating the delays in maritime transportation to island communities in British Columbia, resulting from a major earthquake in the region. The model takes a regional scope and is primarily expert-driven. Correspondingly, it uses information about the earthquake intensity, infrastructure damages, impacts on shipping operations, and community needs to estimate delay times of the operability of different shipping services in the region under various scenarios. The model is illustrated through a series of hypothetical scenarios. Various validation tests furthermore indicate an adequate model performance for supporting regional disaster preparedness planning for the immediate response phase following an earthquake.

Penyelenggaraan Pembangunan NKRI Menuju Negara Maritim Berdasarkan Prinsip Negara Kepulauan

ABSTRACT Indonesia has been deprived of its own true roots as a maritime country. This is the success of the colonial Dutch colonialists who do "devide at empera" in which eventually the nation in the archipelago of this archipelago sees the sea as a separator and inhibitor space.The purpose of this novice lecturer's research is to Know the concept of archipelagic state and maritime state in Indonesia and to prove its implementation in policy and development direction in Indonesia. Is the Government Homeland use in marine activities as a prime mover and a pledge to increase the economy, (2) is supported by a fleet of strong civilian and military, and (3) contribute as much as possible for the prosperity of the people.The research method used in writing this beginner lecturers are socio-juridical legal research methods is often called legal sociological research based school of sociological jurisprudence. Judging from the effectiveness of law or facts that exist in the field which is then compared with the rules of positive law. Field data is used as important information in determining policy and regulatory arrangements and institutions in legal practice for island and coastal communities in Tarakan City, North Kalimantan Province.The results of this study that the Government of the Republic of Indonesia should re-arrange the grand design of a National System oriented to Indonesia as an archipelagic country and the State Archipelago. Keywords: islands, maritime, country, policy, kaltaraABSTRACT Indonesia has been deprived of its own true roots as a maritime country. This is the success of the colonial Dutch colonialists who do "devide at empera" in which eventually the nation in the archipelago of this archipelago sees the sea as a separator and inhibitor space.The purpose of this novice lecturer's research is to Know the concept of archipelagic state and maritime state in Indonesia and to prove its implementation in policy and development direction in Indonesia. Is the Government Homeland use in marine activities as a prime mover and a pledge to increase the economy, (2) is supported by a fleet of strong civilian and military, and (3) contribute as much as possible for the prosperity of the people.The research method used in writing this beginner lecturers are socio-juridical legal research methods is often called legal sociological research based school of sociological jurisprudence. Judging from the effectiveness of law or facts that exist in the field which is then compared with the rules of positive law. Field data is used as important information in determining policy and regulatory arrangements and institutions in legal practice for island and coastal communities in Tarakan City, North Kalimantan Province.The results of this study that the Government of the Republic of Indonesia should re-arrange the grand design of a National System oriented to Indonesia as an archipelagic country and the State Archipelago. Keywords: islands, maritime, country, policy, kaltara

Introduced mangroves in the Society Islands, French Polynesia (South Pacific): invasive species or novel ecosystem?

Biotic mixing, where introduced and native species mix into a newly formed ecosystem, is an increasing phenomenon worldwide. It particularly affects islands, where the number of introduced plants often exceeds native ones, and where invasive alien species are one of the main threats to terrestrial biodiversity. The mangrove tree species Rhizophora stylosa, first introduced in French Polynesia (South Pacific) in the early 1930s, is now well established and found in nearly all the inhabited islands of the Society archipelago (Bora Bora, Huahine, Moorea, Raiatea, Tahaa, Tahiti). It forms dense thickets on coastal habitats and estuaries, and gradually colonizes native tidal grassland marshes and nearshore rocky habitats. In order to assess its current expansion, we mapped its distribution from satellite images interpretation and ground-truthing fieldwork. Results indicate that mangroves currently cover a total of 41 ha in the Society Islands. Expansion rate seems relatively slow, particularly in Moorea where only 2.8% of the coastline is colonized over 90 years after its introduction. A preliminary study of the socio-cultural perception of mangroves was undertaken through an online questionnaire sent to local stakeholders and NGOs. It revealed that although more than 70% of the respondents recognized R. stylosa as an introduced species, 40% considered that it had positive impacts and only 20% that it was a harmful species. A more detailed ecological and socio-economical cost–benefit analysis is still needed to provide clearer conclusions on the invasive status of mangroves in the Society Islands, and the most appropriate management strategies to be implemented by local authorities in collaboration with island communities.

The contradictions of islandness: The small island of St Helena and the emotions of transnationalism

This paper investigates the emotions of transnationalism, when coming from the small, remote British Overseas Territory of St Helena. This paper captures how St Helenian islanders migrate for new opportunities and to escape island monotony. Even though dispersed, the St Helenian islanders retain a strong sense of attachment and belonging to their island, often establishing emotional and material ties in two hemispheres. This paper thus captures the emotions of feeling torn and the contradictory emotions of islandness. This research draws from 68 in-depth interviews with St Helenian islanders between 2006 and 2008, following the return of British citizenship in 2002, but before the island had a functioning airport in 2017. This research captured the emotions of transnationalism when travel was expensive, complex and arduous, due to a fickle British national identity as well as the island's dependence on one single ship. At the point of publishing this research however, the UK was negotiating deals for Brexit and international air travel was limited due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Mobility for this transnational small island community, thus remains uncertain and complicated, due to their post-colonial national identity and geographical isolation.

‘White flour, white sugar, white rice, white salt’: Barriers to achieving food and nutrition security in Kiribati

Food security is identified as one of the main challenges for the 21st century. In the Pacific islands this is especially the case due to natural, topographical, social, environmental, and economic constraints and the influence of globalisation that has forced many populations to resort to imported food. While hunger is rarely experienced by households, poor nutrition leads to a considerable noncommunicable disease burden. The effects of climate change will further exacerbate food security challenges in the region. Kiribati has one of the highest prevalence rates for obesity, diabetes and hypertension anywhere in the world. While past studies have explored regional and state-level food security challenges, there is comparatively little literature on household-level decision making processes related to food. Through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, we identified several themes describing challenges to achieving food security in the island nation, including several environmental challenges that hinder food security. We also include some policy recommendations based on these findings. These challenges and policy recommendations may be applicable to other atoll island communities in the Pacific and other remote coastal communities worldwide.

Traditional Dimensions of Seabed Resource Management in the Context of Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific: Learning From the Socio-Ecological Interconnectivity Between Island Communities and the Ocean Realm

In many of the Pacific Islands, local communities have long-held cultural and spiritual attachments to the sea, in particular to species and specific marine areas, processes, habitats, islands, and natural seabed formations. Traditional knowledge, customary marine management approaches and integrated relationships between biodiversity, ecosystems and local communities promote conservation and ensure that marine benefits are reaped in a holistic, sustainable and equitable manner. However, the interaction between local traditional knowledge, contemporary scientific approaches to marine resource management and specific regulatory frameworks has often been challenging. To some extent, the value of community practices and customary law, which have provided an incentive for regional cooperation and coordination around ocean governance, is acknowledged in several legal systems in the Pacific and a number of regional and international instruments, but this important connection can be further enhanced. In this article we present a science-based overview of the marine habitats that would be affected by deep seabed mining (DSM) along with an analysis of some traditional dimensions and cultural/societal aspects of marine resource management. We then assess whether the applicable legal frameworks at different levels attach sufficient importance to these traditional dimensions and to the human and societal aspects of seabed (mineral) resource management in the region. On the basis of this analysis, we identify best practices and formulate recommendations with regard to the current regulatory frameworks and seabed resource management approaches. Indeed, the policies and practices developed in the Pacific could well serve as a suitable model elsewhere to reconcile commercial, ecological, cultural and social values within the context of deep sea mineral exploitation in addition to sustaining the Human Well-being and Sustainable Livelihoods (HWSL) of the Pacific communities and the health of the Global Ocean.