Biodiversity
The Bird's Head Seascape has more marine species than any other single place on the planet and is considered a center of marine speciation. New species continue to be discovered each year. It is also home to some of the world’s most endangered and charismatic species.
People
With over 40% of the population living in poverty, 75% of families dependent on fish for protein, and the majority of families food insecure, with 13% experiencing reoccuring hunger, sustainable fisheries is not simply an economic issue, but one of survival.
Economy
Through sustainable fisheries and sustainable tourism, the marine ecosystems of West Papua are foundational for the local economy, providing employment for over half of coastal households. Fisheries generate a third of local GDP and tourism is growing at a rate of 30% annually.
22.5
million ha
in the Seascape
14
%
of global mangrove area
75
%
of Earth’s hard coral species
1750+
species
of reef fish
3.6
million ha
in MPAs
760,000
people
500,000
people protected from storms
40
%
of people lives in poverty
75
%
of people rely on fish
30
%
annual growth in tourism
33
%
of local GDP from fisheries
~3.5
million tons
of CO2 sequestered/year
Marine Protected Area (MPAs)
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