Ten years ago my wife and I visited the Republic of Palau, in the Western Pacific.  What we encountered was a spectacularly beautiful, and ecologically healthy, archipelago of islands surrounded by coral reefs teeming with fish.  However, our departure was delayed because  the plane was filled with so much exported tuna that we had to wait for the next flight.  The following year, high water temperatures during an El Nino caused a major coral die-off.  We had learned first hand that overfishing, combined with the early impacts of global warming, could  devastate the island’s environment and economy. 

Following the trip, I thought hard about the problem and proposed a joint initiative with the Nature Conservancy to channel income from the developing ecotourism industry to protecting  ecosystems that tourists come to visit.  The Walker Foundation funded the proposal and has renewed the grant every year since as the program has expanded to encompass funding systems of parks and preserves in many locations around the world.  Dependent on its resources, and having a traditional system of conservation rights and laws, Palau was a perfect site to demonstrate the link between a healthy environment and a prosperous economy. 

According to the Nature Conservancy and other sources, over 70 percent of Palau’s coral  died in the two years following our initial visit.  In response, the government stopped overfishing by limiting the export of many species of fish, established preserves, and set up patrols.  The Walker Foundation helped support the development of a system of fees that were paid by tourists, with the collected fees being used to fund better long-term management.  This in turn attracted more visitors.

My wife and I took the opportunity to return to Palau while we were in the Pacific visiting our son’s family in nearby Guam.  We wanted to see for ourselves if the Foundation’s work had been  effective.  Was Palau returning to health, or was the island paradise now in decline?

What we found was an ecosystem that has recovered dramatically.  Unlike many sites we’ve visited around the world, Palau’s coral reefs are healthy and full of fish - including large predatory species that are disappearing elsewhere.  Palau’s president has issued a “Micronesia Challenge” asking regional leaders to cooperate in achieving better stewardship of shared marine resources.

Join us as we explore the still-spectacular Rock Islands of Palau.  

                                                                                             Barrett Walker