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Papua New Guinea to Protect Coral-Rich Marine “Highway” for Sharks, Dolphins, Whales and Rays
The largest “no-take” marine protected area in Melanesia will safeguard gray reef sharks, manta rays, green turtles, dolphins and seabirds, all while supporting country’s fisheries
Papua New Guinea. July to October 2024. Branching coral provides shelter for fish in the Six Islands area.
Ollie Velasco, National Geographic Pristine Seas
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (May 13, 2026) — Papua New Guinea (PNG) announced today its intention to protect roughly 200,000 km² of Pacific Ocean waters — an area nearly the size of the United Kingdom — from fishing and other destructive activities. The new marine protected area (MPA) will be part of the new Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves (MOCOR), a network of national and joint boundary protected areas across Fiji, Vanuatu and PNG.
The Western Manus Marine Protected Area is designed to safeguard one of the most biologically rich and least explored ocean regions on Earth — all while ensuring that coastal communities have plentiful fish for generations to come. The proposed marine protected area (MPA) is strictly “no take,” meaning that fishing and other human activities would not be allowed.
“Papua New Guinea is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet,” remarked Jelta Wong, minister of the country’s National Fisheries Authority. “Establishing the Western Manus Marine Protected Area will allow us to preserve and protect our ecological legacy and, at the same time, ensure that our ocean continues to provide people with what we need — food and a source of income.”
Known for species found nowhere else on Earth and some of the planet’s deepest nearshore waters, PNG is located in the Coral Triangle, an expanse of ocean between the Pacific and Indian Oceans that is considered to be the global epicenter of marine biodiversity. Surveys in PNG have documented more than 700 reef fish taxa, over 300 species of hard corals, and remarkable deep-sea biodiversity. The Pacific Ocean nation has emerged as a regional ocean conservation leader, planning this newest marine reserve in the Bismarck Sea as part of its pledge toward the global 30x30 goal.
“We take our commitment to protect 30% of our waters by 2030 very seriously, and this new MPA brings us one large step closer to that goal — in addition to ensuring environmental sustainability for present and future generations,” said Yvonne Tio, executive manager at the country’s Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA). “Our rigorous process for researching and designating which areas to prioritize for protection always puts communities first. We’re excited to announce the Western Manus Marine Protected Area so that people in PNG and worldwide can benefit.”
Minister Wong announced the country’s intention amid the first-ever Melanesian Ocean Summit (May 11-14), a regional gathering of leaders from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. PNG is hosting the summit, during which more than 500 delegates from around the world are discussing urgent ocean issues facing the region. The countries in attendance have emerged as leaders in answering the call to protect 30x30.
Marine Highway Hosts Vast Biodiversity
Marked by underwater mountains, ridges and canyons — which create a “marine highway” connecting the shallows to the deep — the planned sanctuary will support a stunning array of marine life, including endangered species. Seabirds (black noddies, white terns and red-footed boobies), shorebirds (Siberian sand-plovers and grey-tailed tattlers), sharks (scalloped hammerheads, gray reef, vulnerable silkies and blacktip), marine mammals (spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, deep-diving Cuvier's beaked whales and killer whales that return to the area each year) and deep-sea creatures (hairy nautilus, colossal yokozuna slickhead, gulper sharks) all call the region home. Much of the deep-sea realm set to be protected remains unexplored, making the sanctuary a hotspot for the discovery of new species.
In 2024, National Geographic Pristine Seas launched a three-month-long expedition in partnership with CEPA and the Wildlife Conservation Study (WCS) to study the country’s remote waters and provide the government with data to inform ocean protection priorities. The expedition team found vibrant coral reefs alongside warning signs of stress, including low numbers of sharks and other top predators, an indicator of overfishing. Scientists documented deep-sea species never before recorded in PNG (such as the yokozuna slickhead), highlighting how little is known about the region and how important it is to protect it before further impacts occur.
“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 like wahoo, rainbow runners and jacks,” said Lindsay Young, vice president of research at Pristine Seas. “This is not just a beautiful place, it’s a highly connected system, where shallow reefs, deep-sea habitats and open ocean waters are linked, supporting species that move across them. Although these reefs are among the healthiest in the Pacific, they are increasingly under threat from global warming, overfishing and plastic pollution. The new MPA comes at a critical juncture to protect these connections and ensure the long-term health of the ocean and the communities that depend on it.”
To set the boundaries of the proposed MPA, scientists tracked endangered grey reef sharks as they traveled between shallow reefs and deep-sea habitats in search of food. But the protected zone was designed to cover much more than just where these sharks roam: It also accounts for wide-ranging ocean species like seabirds, which can travel more than 200 nautical miles from their nesting sites to find food.
“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, who grew up in Manus Province. “To see the waters of Western Manus recognized as the largest marine protected area in Papua New Guinea fills my heart with a profound sense of Lapan pride. We aren't just protecting fish or coral; we are safeguarding our identity. By standing as the guardians of this sanctuary, our province is showing the rest of the world that we have the strength to preserve our 'blue heritage' while ensuring our reefs remain vibrant and full of life for generations to come. This is more than a sanctuary; it is our legacy.”
As a “no take” area, the new MPA bans all fishing, which will ultimately benefit the fishing industry, critical to PNG’s economy. The proposed MPA covers an area where 6.7% of the country’s industrial fishing and 10% of industrial tuna fishing take place. The new MPA won’t negatively impact the economy, however. Instead, it will help replenish food supplies through spillover — the process in which protected areas become so full of life that fish "overflow" into areas just outside of MPAs’ borders where fishing is allowed. Research reveals that tuna catch rates have increased by an average of 12-18% near boundaries of large-scale MPAs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
“With the historic announcement of the Western Manus Marine Protected Area, Papua New Guinea has demonstrated its incredible leadership on ocean conservation on a global scale,” stated Kevin Chand, senior director of Pacific policy at Pristine Seas. “This is an important step toward achieving global 30x30 conservation targets while safeguarding some of the most unique and rich marine biodiversity in the world. The government of Papua New Guinea has based their decision to establish this MPA on sound science showing that protection can support local communities while promoting a sustainable fishing industry. Large-scale MPAs are uniquely capable of protecting entire ecosystems, including migratory species.”
Following the announcement of the Western Manus Marine Protected Area, PNG’s government will begin the national process for legal designation.
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Additional quotes:
Jelta Wong, minister of Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority, said:
“Today at the inaugural Melanesia Ocean Summit, we are excited to take a historic step in implementing the Melanesia Ocean Corridor of Reserves (MOCoR) by announcing the formal creation of the Western Manus National Marine Sanctuary. This Sanctuary is located in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions – The Coral Triangle, and is the cornerstone of Papua New Guinea’s CBD 30x30 commitments. With a proposed area of over 214,000 square kilometers, this will be the largest no-take MPA in Melanesia and account for approximately 9% of PNG’s EEZ.
“The design of the sanctuary is meant to ensure the economic sovereignty of our people and ensure that local Manus communities retain access to their local fishing grounds. The Sanctuary exists outside of Provincial Boundaries, and entirely within PNG’s EEZ.”
Antha Williams, head of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ environment and climate team, said:
“Papua New Guinea’s commitment to establish the Western Manus Marine Protected Area is a powerful step toward meeting the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. Nearly the size of the U.K., this proposed sanctuary would protect an extraordinary array of marine life and a critical ocean ecosystem — supporting food security, strengthening local economies and safeguarding biodiversity. Following through on this commitment into lasting protection will be key to ensuring its long-term impact.”
Ali Green, Pristine Seas marine researcher on the Papua New Guinea expedition, said:
“I'm very excited to hear that Papua New Guinea is creating a large marine protected area (MPA) in Western Manus. This is an area of extraordinary marine biodiversity with healthy populations of rare and threatened species. I first surveyed the reefs in this region 20 years ago, and it was wonderful to see some of the most spectacular reefs that we saw then are still healthy and thriving in this changing world.
This MPA will not only be very important to build a resilient network of MPAs for Papua New Guinea, but it will also be a major contribution to establishing a network of MPAs throughout the Coral Triangle, which has some of the highest levels of marine biodiversity on Earth.”
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About National Geographic Pristine Seas (2026)
National Geographic Pristine Seas works with Indigenous and local communities, governments, and other partners to protect vital places in the ocean through research, policy, and filmmaking. Since 2008, Pristine Seas has helped establish 31 marine protected areas, spanning more than 6.9 million square kilometers of ocean.
Pristine Seas is part of the global non-profit, the National Geographic Society. Our mission is driven by science and filmmaking — we are fully independent from National Geographic publishing and its media arm.
The work of Pristine Seas is made possible through the generous support of the Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Campbell Foundation for the Environment, Disney, Don Quixote Foundation, The Aaron And Catie Enrico Family Foundation, Google, LGT Venture Philanthropy, Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic Fund, Minderoo Foundation, Oracle, Philip Stephenson Foundation, Postcode Lottery Group, Rituals, Tanka Foundation, Ted and Michele Waitt–TTMMC Fund, UBS Optimus Foundation, an anonymous donor, Renwick Family and other individual donors.
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