Solutions for Marine and Coastal Resilience in the Coral Triangle

State of implementation/results

The SOMACORE project aims to strengthen ecosystem and local community resilience in transboundary coastal and marine seascapes. Project areas are the Sulu-Sulawesi marine region (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines), the Bismarck Solomon marine region (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands), and the Lesser Sunda marine region (Indonesia, Timor-Leste). It supports partner governments in line with priorities identified in the regional plan of action under the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF).

• In 2024, governments of all six Coral Triangle countries agreed to strengthen transboundary marine conservation with specific focus on the three priority landscapes.
• In November 2024, the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) in Tawi Tawi province has been declared as the 60th ASEAN Heritage Park. TIWS is considered to be among the Top 10 nesting habitats for green turtles in the world. This recognition strengthens the commitment of the government to protect 245,958 ha of vital ecosystems.
• The six Coral Triangle countries endorsed 12 Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the region to pursue IUCN Green List nomination. The Green List framework aims to support countries in designing practical action to achieve the national commitments to Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
• The Coral Triangle countries are developing their National Plans of Action 2.0 (NPOA 2.0) based on the joint objectives in the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action 2.0. In five out of six cases, the preparation and drafting of the NPOA 2.0 is actively supported by the programme in close collaboration with the CTI National Coordinating Committees.
• Since 2024, the programme conducted baselines surveys, trainings and continues to facilitate community consultations in the context of supporting the establishment of five MPAs in the Lesser Sunda Seascape (LSS).
• On 5 May 2025, Indonesia and Timor-Leste initiated their cooperation on marine management during the first LSS dialogue. The representatives agreed to develop a joint roadmap focusing on migratory species protection, MPA network, LSS Science Hub partnership and fisheries management.
• In July 2025, the webinar “Tales from the Triangle – A Talanoa series on Marine Conservation” was launched. The bi-monthly series brings together government agencies, NGOs, community leaders, and regional partners from across the Coral Triangle to discuss challenges and lessons, and present solutions relevant to different aspects in marine and coastal management.
• Three communities in Solomon Islands signed agreements with the programme for the development and implementation of Community Based Fisheries Management plans.
• The government of the Solomon Islands is conducting provincial consultations for the development of the Shark and Ray National Plan of Action.
• The programme developed and rolled out the "Whale Shark-Based MPA Module 101" as a comprehensive educational and outreach tool to mainstream the concept of whale shark-focused MPAs. The module is designed to equipping local stakeholders with essential knowledge for contributing to whale shark conservation and marine ecosystem protection in Saleh Bay.

Latest Update:
12/2025