Palau Marine Conservation: From Bul to Global Influence — An Interview with Ambassador Jessica Lee

Palau is one of Taiwan's diplomatic allies and a destination many divers consider a must-visit in their lifetime. In the spring of 2024, the Editor flew to Palau to experience the joy of diving alongside manta rays. Beyond the rich dive travel experience, we were also fortunate to invite Ambassador Jessica Lee of the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Palau for an exclusive BlueTrend interview, sharing how Palau's ancient tribal tradition of "Bul" evolved — step by step, from the ground up — into national marine conservation legislation, and ultimately into a force shaping international conservation efforts.

Where Is Palau, and What Country Does It Belong To?

Before diving into the main topic, let's get a quick introduction to Palau with the Editor! Palau is an island nation in the western Pacific Ocean, made up of eight main islands and more than three hundred small volcanic islets. Its population is fewer than 20,000 people, with roughly 70% living in Koror, the largest city. Palau has 16 states, each of which borders the sea.

Many people wonder which country Palau belongs to — the answer is that Palau is an independent nation. It was formerly ruled by Spain, Germany, and Japan, and during World War II, the United States defeated Japan in the Battle of Peleliu and took control of Palau. After the war, the United Nations authorized the United States to administer Palau as a trust territory until Palau formally gained independence in 1994.

Palau is blessed with abundant marine resources. In addition to fishing, it boasts diverse natural landscapes — including Jellyfish Lake, Milky Way Lagoon, rich underwater coral reef ecosystems, WWII shipwrecks and warplane relics — as well as the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all of which attract a great number of visitors. Palau can truly be described as a nation that lives by the sea. Ambassador Jessica Lee describes marine conservation as "part of Palauan DNA." How exactly do they put conservation into practice? Read on to find out! (For a more complete dive travel itinerary, see the extended links at the end of this article.)

What Is Palau's Traditional Bul?

Bul has been a tradition in Palau for thousands of years. The word means restriction or prohibition — but as Ambassador Lee explains, "It's not a permanent ban. Rather, it's a set of guidelines for harvesting that follow the natural rhythms of the environment." She elaborates that Bul is rooted in the wisdom accumulated through the interactions between tribal elders and the natural world, regulating which species may or may not be caught during certain seasons.

When a chief observes that a particular fish population is declining or that a species is in its breeding season and therefore should not be caught, all states and sub-districts voluntarily comply with the chief's guidance. "You don't catch them — and if you do catch one, you release it." Through the Bul tradition, overfishing is prevented and natural resources are given the chance to recover and regenerate.

Ambassador Lee explains: "The government, in turn, took these customary practices of the chiefs and tribes and codified them into law. Bul is not just about banning fishing — more importantly, it ensures that resources exist for generations to come. This stems from their innate awareness of the environment." This bottom-up approach may well be the key to Palau's success in marine conservation.

The very foundation of Palauan culture is its island and ocean heritage. Treating Bul as a matter of course doesn't come from years of environmental or marine education after the fact — which is why I say it's in their DNA.

— Ambassador Jessica Lee

Palau's Bul Tradition Evolves from the Ground Up into a National Marine Protected Area

"In marine conservation, Palau is almost at the very forefront of our era," Ambassador Lee observes. When it comes to tribal and national regulations governing the sea, "Palauans have virtually no voices of opposition." In recent years, the millennia-old tradition of Bul has evolved into Palau's comprehensive marine conservation policies and regulations.

80% of Palau's Waters Designated as Protected Area

In 2015, Palau enacted legislation to establish the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS). By 2020, 80% of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was closed to fishing, mining, and all other commercial activities. Only 20% remains open for domestic fishing operations and commercial fisheries, and the number of licenses issued to foreign fishing vessels has been reduced year by year.

Ambassador Lee notes: "Initially, some interest groups and distant-water fishing operators objected and lobbied Congress, but they were unsuccessful because the public's desire to protect the ocean was simply too strong." To put this in perspective for Taiwan: there were once more than 20 distant-water fishing vessels operating in Palau's waters — today, only one remains. This policy represented a particularly difficult decision for Palau, as the "fishing access fees" paid by foreign distant-water vessels represent a critical source of government revenue for Pacific island nations. Protecting 80% of the ocean came at the cost of the vast majority of that income.

With Fishing Access Fees Gone, Palau Collects a "Protection Fee"

Starting in 2017, Palau began promoting sustainable tourism. Visitors are required to have the "Palau Pledge" stamped in their passports as an entry seal, committing to protect the natural environment and respect local culture. Palau also collects a US$100 "Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee" from every visitor, generating additional government revenue.

Furthermore, citing Palauan media reports, from the enactment of PNMS-related legislation through 2021, the Palau National Marine Sanctuary received over US$111 million in donations and diplomatic support from partners drawn by Palau's marine conservation policies.

Outcomes of Palau's Marine Protected Area

Within the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, at least nine species listed on the IUCN Red List have been identified — including the Critically Endangered (CR) Hawksbill Turtle, the Endangered (EN) blue whale, and the Vulnerable (VU) leatherback sea turtle. Following the designation of the protected area, researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi found in 2017 that fish populations inside the sanctuary were twice those in unprotected areas.

Palau Extends the Influence of Bul from a Small Island to the Entire World

Yet Palau's marine conservation policies go beyond sustainable fisheries — they are also a response to climate change.

Jellyfish Lake, once a must-visit for tourists, has seen its famous golden jellyfish population fluctuate dramatically. At its peak, the lake once housed millions of jellyfish; now, very few remain — an undeniable testament to the impact of climate change. As a result, protecting the ocean and safeguarding the world's largest carbon sink has become a cause that Palau actively champions and advocates for on the international stage.

"Palau sits on the front row of ocean views — and on the front lines of climate change. What can Palau do? This is a global problem." Though there was a hint of resignation in Ambassador Lee's voice, she was also deeply inspired by Palau's actions and influence. She said: "This tiny Pacific island nation, with a population of fewer than 20,000, has been able to take Bul all the way across the Pacific island nations, and then to COP28 — the global climate conference — where countries came together to reach a consensus that was rooted in the concept of Bul."

Palau and other Pacific island nations jointly committed to "Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity (UBPP)," pledging to achieve 100% effective management of the region's ocean areas and 30% land protection. This vision also received a US$100 million donation from the Bezos Earth Fund, the foundation of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who credited the vision and collaboration to Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr.

Ocean Science Diplomacy Deepens Taiwan–Palau Relations

As both diplomatic allies and ocean nations, Taiwan and Palau have deepened their cooperative relationship on marine conservation issues, working together to address the challenges of global warming and rising sea levels. Ambassador Lee shares that diplomacy is multifaceted, and "ocean science diplomacy" is one dimension of that work. For example, the 2023 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Taiwan–Palau Ocean Science Research between Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council and Palau's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment marked one such beginning.

The collaboration encompasses: documenting the ocean wisdom of Palau's indigenous peoples and building it into a database using deep machine learning; designing science education courses at a Palau community college, offered to local residents, ocean-related government departments, and school science teachers — incorporating field study as well; and establishing hydrological monitoring stations in Palau to record data during extreme rainfall events or heat waves and observe the effects on marine life. The goal is to harness science to amplify the marine conservation outcomes for both sides.

Learning from Palau on Ocean Governance

Reducing human impact is the primary key to — and challenge in — environmental protection. Visitors who have been to Palau are invariably warned before departure: do not use or bring sunscreen products that are toxic to coral reefs. Not only will such products be confiscated, but violators face a US$1,000 fine. Even ordinary tourists can sense the bold resolve with which Palau protects its ocean.

However, when it comes to marine protected area governance, one of the biggest differences from Palau is that Taiwan has no traditional Bul to serve as a binding force. Taiwan must rely solely on written law — and then ensure effective enforcement — for marine protected areas to function as intended.

Take fishing as an example: Palau's traditional Bul carries inherent authority, and protected area management is reinforced through a high degree of local self-governance. Taiwan, lacking a Bul and relying only on legislation, could potentially strengthen and implement ocean governance by establishing clear fishing regulations that draw on the Palauan model — limiting catch by season and species, and perhaps also by fish length and quantity.

Bonus Insight: Observing Marine Conservation in Palau vs. Hawaiʻi

Before her posting in Palau, Ambassador Lee also served in Hawaiʻi. She notes that both places place great emphasis on marine ecology conservation, but their origins differ. "Hawaiʻi learned through a painful lesson, and that's when it started doing ocean education." Ambassador Lee recounts how Hanauma Bay in Hawaiʻi once suffered severe coral trampling due to overcrowding and visitors of varying levels of awareness, leading to coral death and declining fish populations. Local authorities recognized the severity of the situation, closed the bay for three years for restoration, and upon reopening required all visitors to first attend a class and watch a conservation video, learning how to be responsible travelers.

Palau is different. This place won't be overdeveloped — it always maintains a more natural side. But the biggest crisis it faces is climate change.

— Ambassador Jessica Lee

Mitigating the threat of climate change cannot rely on closing or restoring a single site — it is a challenge that belongs to the entire world.

Behind the Interview: Does the Ambassador to Palau Have to Know How to Scuba Dive?

It is said that Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. asks every ambassador to know how to dive — is that true? We put the question to Ambassador Jessica Lee directly and invited her to give us the answer herself.

Ambassador Lee: "No, no — it's not really a requirement." That said, she laughed as she walked us through her first meeting with President Whipps. "He simply asked me, 'Do you dive?' I said 'No,' and he said he would invite ambassadors to go diving and suggested I learn. He also told me that the American ambassador, the Australian ambassador, the Japanese ambassador — and this one and that one — all dive."

"I thought to myself: well, if everyone else can do it, I certainly can't be left behind! As a diplomat, you're always ready to take on new challenges." At President Whipps's invitation, Ambassador Lee — who arrived at her posting at the end of 2021 — kicked off her first New Year's Day in Palau with a Fun Dive. Descending into the ocean, she described it as discovering "an entirely different world" and witnessing the beauty of the sea for the first time.

References:

• • Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Republic of Palau
    • PalauGov.pw
    • Palauans benefit from PNMS - Island Times
    • New Strategy highlights the scientific priorities of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary
    • Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity
    • Bezos Earth Fund Pledges $100 Million to Support Pacific Islands' Initiative
    • WWF-Pacific poised to support 'Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity' | WWF Asiapacific

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