The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian country and archipelago comprised of 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited, in the southern Pacific Ocean. Tonga is about NW 1,800 km from New Zealand’s North Island.

In 2015, the Tonga Cabinet decided to create a Marine Spatial Plan to sustainably manage the nation’s marine resources for future generations.

The Vava’u Ocean Initiative (2017) aims to support fisheries management, sustainable ocean planning, and conserve biodiversity while allowing for sustainable economic development. The Initiative has three focal areas: supporting creation of a sustainable ocean plan through Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), supporting creation of Special Management Areas (SMAs) for community fisheries, and supporting scientific research.