Marine Atlas: Maximizing Benefits for Kiribati

VALUING Marine ecosystems in Kiribati provide significant benefits to society, including livelihoods and nutri- tion for the people of Kiribati, the Pacific and around the world. Limited land resources and the dis- persed and isolated nature of communities make the I-Kiribati heavily reliant upon the benefits of marine ecosystems.

flow of currents and the role of plankton in the ocean’s life cycle, among many others.

home to many different species, from coral-grazing parrotfish on the reefs to the strange and mysterious animals of the deep. These and many other species and the unique marine ecosystems on

which they rely are featured in the maps to follow.

These benefits, or ecosystem services, in- clude a broad range of connections between the environment and human well-being and can be divided into four categories: 1. Provisioning services are products ob- tained from ecosystems (e.g. fish). 2. Regulating services are benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem pro- cesses (e.g. coastal protection). 3. Cultural services are the non-material bene- fits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experi- ences (e.g. traditional fishing and traditional marine resource management systems). 4. Supporting services are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem servic- es (e.g. nutrient cycling, biodiversity). The maps in this chapter showcase, firstly, the biophysical prerequisites underpinning the rich values and benefits provided by marine ecosystems. These range from the volcanism at the depths of the ocean that formed the islands and atolls that now provide a home to many, to the prevailing

portance to Kiribati. Quantifying the benefits of marine ecosystems in the Pacific makes it easier to highlight and support appropriate use and sustainable management deci- sions. Despite the fact that more than 95 per cent of Pacific Island territory is ocean, the human benefits derived from marine and coastal ecosystems are often overlooked. For example, ecosystem services are usu- ally not visible in business transactions or national economic accounts in Pacific Island countries. Assessments of the economic value of marine ecosystem services to Pacific Islanders can help make society and decision makers alike aware of their importance. Kiribati has therefore undertaken economic assessments of its marine and coastal eco- system services, and is working on inte- grating the results into national policies and development planning. These economic values are also featured in the maps of this atlas, to help maximize benefits for Kiribati. For further reading, please see http:// macbio-pacific.info/marine-ecosystem- service-valuation/

Based on the combinations of biophys- ical conditions, the ocean provides a

Appreciating the rich diversity of marine ecosystems helps in understanding their im-

HOWVALUABLE IS OUR OCEAN?

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BigeyeTuna isbutoneexample ofafishstock thathasdropped drastically fromunfished levels. SPC,2014.TheWesternandCentralPacific TunaFishery:OverviewandStatusofStocks.

* MinistryofFinanceandEconomic Development (2014)http://www.mfed.gov. ki/sites/default/files/2015-Budget-Final.pdf

* This refers to thenet tunavalue retained inKiribati’seconomy, whileAUD293Maccrued to foreign tunafleets. Kiribati’s marine ecosystem services need to be fully recognized and sustainably managed or they may be lost forever . Thesizeof thebubblesproportionally represents the respectivenetvalueperannum,basedon 2014data (uppervalueused incaseof rangeofvalues).

Thesizeof thebubblesproportionally represents the respectivenetvalueperannum,basedon 2014data (uppervalueused incaseof rangeofvalues).

Kiribati’s marine ecosystem services are valuable and diverse , yet often hidden .

The goods and services provided by Kiribati’s marine ecosystems are huge . They are worth double the country’s GDP.

MAXIMIZING BENEFITS FOR KIRIBATI

VALUING

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