Hamiton, R., Ramohia, P., Hughes, A., Siota, C., Kere, N., Giningele, M., Kereseka, J., Taniveke, F., Tanito, N., Atu, W. and L. Tanavalu, 2007. Post-Tsunami Assessment of Zinoa Marine Conservation Area, South Choiseul, Solomon Islands. TNC Pacific Island Countries Report No. 4/07.        

Since 2004 The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Community (LLCTC) and Choiseul provincial fisheries have assisted five local communities around Choiseul in their efforts to establish Marine Conservation Areas (MCA) on their traditional reefs. The first MCA to be established was the Zinoa MCA. Zinoa is located on the south-west side of Choiseul in the Solomon Islands. The Zinoa MCA was established by traditional leaders in November 2004, covering 150 hectares and consisting of two islands and associated reefs that occur approximately one kilometre offshore from Voza village on the Choiseul mainland. The reefs around Zinoa Islands are representative of this region of the South coast of Choiseul. In early 2005 sea cucumbers, trochus and giant clams around Zinoa Islands were reported by traditional reef owners to be only a tiny fraction of their former abundance and food fish populations were also reported to be in decline.          

The primary objectives of establishing the Zinoa MCA were: 1. To allow populations of commercially important marine invertebrates and food fish to recover. 2. Have the Zinoa MCA act as a ‘breeding stock’ of macroinvertebrates and food fishes that provide ‘spillover’ of juveniles and adults to adjacent fished sites. 3. Conserve the marine biodiversity of the Zinoa Islands          

In response to communities request, in November 2005 TNC assembled a team to conduct underwater baseline studies on commercially important macroinvertebrates, food fish and corals in and around the Zinoa area. Sites inside and outside of the Zinoa MCA were selected for long term monitoring, and scientific monitoring was repeated in October 2006.            

After the 2006 monitoring the intention was to not resurvey the Zinoa MCA for several years. However, in April 2007 an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 struck the Western Solomon Islands unleashing a tsunami with a wave height of 2-10m that caused severe damage along the coastal areas of Western and Choiseul Provinces. Voza community was badly hit by a succession of waves (4-5m high) that caused severe damage to buildings, canoes and other permanent structures. The Zinoa reef complex bore the brunt force of the waves. As a result of the earthquake and tsunami, Voza Community and TNC decided to conduct a third survey to assess the damage to the coral reefs and their associated fauna and flora. A post-tsunami assessment of the Zinoa MCA was conducted in mid June 2007, six weeks after the tsunami.          

This report details the findings of three years of marine surveys, and allows us to quantitatively evaluate the early effects of protection and the impact of the April 2007 tsunami on fish, invertebrates and corals in the Zinoa area.