PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The coral reefs of Papua New Guinea form part of the Coral Triangle – the area with the highest levels of marine biodiversity in the world. Despite the extraordinary natural heritage of Papua New Guinea’s coral reefs, they are under threat from multiple anthropogenic pressures. Furthermore, there is no revenue being generated by protected areas for active conservation management, while communities lack the knowledge and finance to develop conservation-first business models, particularly among women who remain marginalised in the business and labour markets.

Gutpela Solwara, Gutpela Bisnis provides an opportunity to shape Papua New Guinea’s national direction in
the blue economy. The programme is developing a Blue Investment Strategy to operationalise an oceans
policy recently adopted by the government. The programme has also established the “Blue Economy Enterprise Incubation Facility” (BE-EIF) to accelerate sustainable livelihoods opportunities linked to the marine environment in Kimbe Bay, New Britain and Louisiade Archipelago, Milne Bay. The BE-IF provides dedicated technical assistance and a mix of financial instruments, particularly early stage finance and risk guarantees, to unearth, incubate and grow sustainable blue enterprise investment-readiness from cradle to exit with a particular focus on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and women.