Vanuatu Giant Clam Sanctuaries

In 1991 the Enrel family of Uluveo Island in the Maskelynes, just south of Malekula Island, decided to set up a sanctuary for Giant Clams. They called it Ringi Te Suh Marine Conservation Reserve. Ringi Te Suh has two meanings; to leave something to multiply and to leave something alone. Enrel Simon Bong Masing was alarmed at the steady decline of sea creatures on the coral reefs of the Meskelynes Islands. The giant clams, in particular, were vanishing rapidly. Two species, Tridacna gigas and Tridacna derasa had already become locally extinct. On a visit to Fiji, he heard about giant clam sanctuaries and when he returned to Vanuatu he obtained a booklet from the Fisheries Department describing 12 steps to setting up a giant clam sanctuary.

The Enrel clan took action immediately, convincing the villagers to set aside a reef area of about one square kilometer for the clam reserve. They bought over 500 giant clams from local fishers and put them in the reserve.