BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

THE people of Saeragi community in Western Province are witnessing worrying changes in one of their most valuable marine resources ‘sea grapes’ as the impacts of climate change intensify.

Speaking to Island Sun, long-time sea grape harvester Newton Kule said harvesters have observed unusual patterns in growth and survival of sea grapes in recent years, including deaths of entire patches.

He said such occurrences were never seen two decades ago.

“We saw that when there is a long dry season, sea grapes on the shallow areas will die. When it’s rainy season and extreme high tides, the sea grapes grow healthy,” Kule explained.

He added that harvesters have also noticed the sea grapes gradually shifting into deeper areas, possibly in response to warming ocean waters.

“We also witnessed that the sea grapes are moving into the deep. Maybe because the sea is getting hotter,” he said.

According to Kule, sea grapes are commonly harvested and sold in markets across the province, making it a crucial source of income for many Saeragi households.

He said the decline of the resource poses a direct threat to livelihoods and food security.

Kule said the community is now exploring ways to adapt and protect their sea grapes.

“We are planting this resource in some areas that we believe they can grow in. Some of our trials worked — the sea grapes did grow in some of the places,” he said.

Kule said the community needs greater support to properly respond to the climate-driven changes.

“This is a good sign for us, but we need more support to help us mitigate this issue. We need scientific knowledge to complement our traditional knowledge,” he said.

Kule warned that the long-term survival of sea grapes will depend heavily on how sea temperatures and sea levels change in the coming years.

“If the sea level continues to increase and the temperature increases, we might lose this important marine resource,” he said.

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