Roots to Reefs and Beyond: Six Lessons from Micronesian Community-Based Fisheries Practitioners

In November 2025, more than 75 fisheries practitioners, community leaders, and regional partners gathered in Koror, Palau, for the first Roots to Reefs and Beyond Learning Event. Hosted by the Kiwa Regional MiCOAST Project, co-sponsored by the Pacific Community (SPC), co-organised by OneReef and co-led by Rare, the gathering brought together voices from Palau, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap, the Marshall Islands and Nauru to take stock of Community-Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) across Micronesia.

The Learning Brief published by MiCOAST distils the week into six practical lessons. CBFM in Micronesia is diverse in form but united in principle — there is no single model, but a shared ethic of stewardship rooted in local realities. To be effective, CBFM must include everyone, with women, youth and marginalised groups holding real seats at the decision-making table. Practitioners stressed that scaling means going deeper, not just wider — strengthening governance, livelihoods, and the alignment between traditional knowledge and science before expanding geographically. They were also clear that communities cannot do this work alone: sustained government support, durable financing and clear legal backing are essential. Storytelling emerged as a core tool, not an optional add-on — a way to secure community buy-in, influence policy, and carry traditional knowledge forward. Finally, the event revealed that a Micronesian community of practice is emerging, energised and ready to sustain itself well beyond any single project cycle.

The full Learning Brief, which also maps these findings against the Pacific Framework for Action on Scaling up Community-Based Fisheries Management: 2021–2030, is available below.

pdf Kiwa Micoast - Insights from the Roots to Reefs and Beyond Learning Event - May 2026(10.79 MB)