The Tambu Symposium, a 2024 Melbourne Biodiversity Institute Seed Funding Project, brought together Indigenous knowledge‑holders from across Melanesia — including Papua New Guinea, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia — to advance shared understanding and recognition of tambu/tabu customary conservation systems.
Island ecosystems across the East Melanesian Islands Biodiversity Hotspot hold globally significant biodiversity, yet fewer than 5% of terrestrial areas are formally protected. With more than 90% of land under customary ownership, Indigenous conservation systems — particularly tambu areas governed by cultural protocols that limit access and resource use - remain vital but historically under‑recognised within Western conservation frameworks.
During the symposium, Indigenous leaders shared insights into the status, structure and challenges of tambu systems in their communities, contributing deep traditional knowledge of existing sites and management practices. These discussions helped build a regional evidence base supporting the revitalisation and formal recognition of tambu as an essential conservation mechanism.
Importantly, the Tambu Symposium laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Melanesian Biodiversity Conservation Network (MBCN). By convening customary leaders, practitioners, researchers and community organisations, the symposium ignited a shared vision for a durable regional alliance dedicated to strengthening Indigenous‑led biodiversity conservation across Melanesia.
Key outcomes of the symposium included:
- Formation of a regional network advocating for Indigenous customary management in national and international conservation policy.
- Development of pathways for government and NGO support to reinforce tambu‑based conservation initiatives.
- Establishment of research for documenting tambu systems, collecting biodiversity data and advancing their recognition within mechanisms such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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Lake Luloru in the interior of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is a culturally signifiant site. The cultural beliefs and sacredness of the lake plays a significant role in the preservation of lake and the surrounding ecosystems. The lake also supplies many of the rivers on the southern part of the island.