When local fishers and elders realized that nearby marine ecosystems were being destroyed by overfishing, pollution, and climate change, they created the country’s first Locally Managed Marine Area to ban fishing in a designated zone.
Since then, the ecosystem has made a resounding comeback, with biodiversity surging.
The now-thriving ecosystem has fostered a tourism sector, boosted catches for fishermen and women in nearby areas, and encouraged the national government to greatly expand the protected area.