Pisiwi is an uninhabited island close to Chuuk State’s main island of Weno, and a popular spot for locals and visitors to picnic and swim. Unfortunately, people have overfished, used destructive fishing methods (bleach and dynamite), and dredged for sand and coral. Recently, increasingly severe typhoons and droughts have exacerbated the human-caused problems.

The loss is great, because Chuuk Lagoon is one of the largest lagoon systems in the world and a site of tremendous biodiversity. Mantas, sharks (gray, blacktip, and whitetip reef shark), and green and hawksbill sea turtles are common. In 2008, a rapid ecological assessment found 564 species of fish and 330 species of corals. The report also pinpointed inner lagoon islands such as Pisiwi as particularly threatened by human activity.

The traditional land and reef owners of Pisiwi, working with a women- and youth-led NGO called Island PRIDE (Promoting Resilience through Involvement, Development & Education) want to make Pisiwi a nature reserve. People can still swim, snorkel, and picnic, but all forms of extraction, including mining and fishing, are banned. They are placing a mechen, or closure, on the land and reef, a practice that is still honored in Chuuk. Because the Chuuk Department of Marine Resources already patrols nearby marine protected areas, it can incorporate the Pisiwi reserve into its patrols.

This project funds a new building on the island that doubles as a visitors center and ranger station. At the new center, posters inform visitors about Pisiwi’s status as a nature reserve, the penalties for poaching or other violations, and most important, the ecological importance of protecting the area. Volunteers will staff the ranger station.