Finance to mobilise commercial impact finance into MPAs

The overall aim of this initiative is to establish a blended finance facility that mobilizes commercial impact investment to support the effective protection, management, and monitoring of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) and priority coral reef sites in Fiji. By addressing the limited self-financing capacity of many MPAs and LMMAs, the initiative seeks to create sustainable revenue streams through the development of reef-positive businesses, ultimately enhancing the resilience and health of coral reef ecosystems.

The contractor C3 leads implementation and is actively advancing the initiative. Key progress includes the identification and community consent of 30 LMMAs across Fiji, the drafting of national regulations to legally recognize LMMAs under the Fisheries Act (1941), and the development of robust selection criteria to prioritize investment. C3 will now focus on building business cases for at least 10 promising LMMAs, which will be eligible for financing through the planned Blue Lending Facility, to be operated by a local development financial institution.