Day 3 of the Inaugural Yap State R&D Conference 2026: MRMD Showcases the "Yap Model" for Sustainable Ocean Governance

COLONIA, Yap—On the third day of the inaugural Yap State R&D Conference 2026, the Division of Marine Resources Management (MRMD) presented its comprehensive strategy for balancing economic growth with environmental conservation, highlighting the innovative "Yap Model" for sustainable ocean governance.

The presentation focused on the following key areas:

• The Marine Mandate: MRMD detailed its core responsibility to promote local

economic development while ensuring the strict conservation and sustainable

management of Yap's living sea resources.

• The "Yap Model": A community-first framework was introduced, showing how

MRMD collaborates directly with resource owners to identify threats, execute

target programs, monitor reef health, and deliver data-driven policy

recommendations.

• Key Marine Priorities: The division emphasized its focus on maintaining a

centralized data repository, supporting community-level management planning,

and enhancing data-sharing through public outreach awareness.

• Current Status & Successes: Despite severe pressures from climate change

and shifting economic factors, MRMD highlighted its success in consistently

collecting fisheries-independent data, specifically through ongoing reef censuses.

• Technical Partnerships & Alliances: Officials highlighted that key conservation

activities rely heavily on vibrant collaborative networks. MRMD emphasized its

deep technical partnerships with vital local agencies, including:

1. Yap EPA

2. College of Micronesia Cooperative Research Extension (COM-CRE)

3. Yap Locally Managed Area Network (YLMAN)

4. Island Resources Conservancy of Waab (IRCW)

The division also credited critical support from regional and global agencies to

maximize resource protection, including the Micronesia Conservation Trust

(MCT), One Reef Micronesia, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Waitt

Institute through the government-led Blue Prosperity Micronesia (BPM)

Program.

• Shared Challenges: Officials openly discussed existing hurdles, including

limited internal technical capacity, the need for more regular metric evaluations,

and jurisdictional overlaps between relevant government agencies.

• Future Direction: MRMD closed by charting a path forward centered on

expanding vital ecosystem protections, strengthening these multi-level agency

alliances, and safeguarding Yap's cultural and blue heritage.

Click here for more pictures, on Day 3 of the Inaugural Yap State R&D Conference 2026

https://1drv.ms/.../IgBSryxk1wLdT7xIjVvBEF9qAUzQujUcngrbs...

(For more information regarding the conference presentations or MRMD initiatives, please contact the Department of Resources and Development at 350-2182)