The ‘whole-of-island’ team heading to Abaiang includes representatives from various ministries including Education, Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Public Works and Utilities as well as the Kiribati Meteorological Service.
Other partners include; the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) with funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union and Australia’s Aid Program. The “whole of island” approach on Abaiang is also implemented by other SPC programs, the University of the South Pacific Global Climate Change Alliance Program (USP GCCA), the USAID Coastal Community Adaptation Project (C-CAP) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Life on the atolls depends solely on the lagoons, reefs, oceans and its resources. It had shaped culture, lifestyle as well as adapting to survive.
The Whole-of-Island approach enhances management through the conduct of fisheries scientific assessments, alternative to fisheries management as with the deployment of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), aquaculture trials for resilient commodities, postharvest and development of island council fisheries byelaws.
Through scientific assessments, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will be established and stringent control on fishing gear and seasons will be imposed by the island councils.
Whole-of-Island approach links management of fisheries with land based activities and other activities, such as education.