The context and potential sustainability of traditional terrestrial periodic tambu areas: insights from Manus Island, Papua New Guinea
Nathan Whitmore A E , John Lamaris A , Wallace Takendu A , Daniel Charles A B , Terence Chuwek C , Brian Mohe D , Lucas Kanau D and Stanley Pe-eu D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea, PO Box 277, Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.
B Tipu-u Clan, Sohoniliu, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.
C Welei Clan, Lehewa, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.
D Lahok Clan, Tulu 2, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.
E Corresponding author. Email: nwhitmore@wcs.org
Pacific Conservation Biology 22(2) 151-158 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC15036
Submitted: 27 October 2015 Accepted: 5 February 2016 Published: 7 March 2016
Abstract
Within the Pacific over the last two decades there has been greater recognition of the pre-existing tools within indigenous communities for natural resource management. Periodic tambu (Tok Pisin: a prohibition) is an indigenous resource management tool often used across Papua New Guinea. On Manus Island terrestrial periodic tambu areas are characterised by a cycle of resource closure followed by instantaneous harvest. We examine the differing application of periodic tambu areas by three different clans who are using the technique to restock areas with the Admiralty cuscus (Phalangeridae: Spilocuscus kraemeri), an arboreal possum-like marsupial. We examined the plausibility of cuscus population recovery over differing closure periods at three different harvest rates using a composite female-only population projection matrix approach based on the vital rates of closely related phalangerid surrogates. The resultant trajectories suggest that commonly used closure durations may allow recovery at low to medium harvest rates (10–30%) but not at high harvest rates (50%). From this we infer that periodic tambu areas may be a sustainable strategy for customary resource use of Admiralty cuscus at low to medium harvest rates. We found periodic tambu management on Manus Island to be culturally dynamic with clans differing with respect to their purpose, adherence to tradition, and hybridisation with modern land governance practices. Given the past difficulties of imposing exogenous conservation systems in Papua New Guinea, we advocate greater exploration of the merits of endogenous systems such as periodic tambu areas.
Additional keywords: harvest, matrix, Melanesia, population, taboo, traditional management.
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