| Tonda Wildlife Management Area | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the area nearBensbach airfield | |
  Location inNew Guinea | |
| Location | Western Province,Papua New Guinea |
| Nearest city | Merauke |
| Coordinates | 9°00′05″S141°32′40″E / 9.00139°S 141.54444°E /-9.00139; 141.54444[1] |
| Area | 5,900 km2 (2,300 sq mi) |
| Established | 1975 |
| Designated | 16 March 1993 |
| Reference no. | 591[2] |
TheTonda Wildlife Management Area is awetland of international importance[3] and the largestprotected area inPapua New Guinea.[4] It is located in the south-western corner of theWestern Province and is contiguous withWasur National Park ofIndonesia. It forms part of theTrans Fly savanna and grasslandsecoregion.
The terrain is flat, generally less than 45 metres above sea level. It includes tidal river reaches,mangrove areas, swamps, grassland, savanna woodlands and patches of monsoon forest. Most trees are of the genusAcacia andMelaleuca while common grasses arePhragmite andPseudoraphis.
It is an important wetland for over 250 species of resident and migratorywaterbirds. Most of the World's population oflittle curlew stage on the plains during migration. The area also provides habitat forbirds-of-paradise[3] andbrolga.[5]
Fifty-six species of fish have been recorded.[6] Fifty mammals are known to occur in the area, including a number not found elsewhere in New Guinea, such as thespectacled hare-wallaby,false water-rat,bronze quoll andchestnut dunnart. Reptiles includesaltwater crocodile andNew Guinea crocodile.[3]
The land is undercustomary ownership. About 1,500 subsistence gardeners and hunters live in the area in 12 villages.[3] The western part of Tonda covers land of theKanum peoples.[7]
TondaWildlife Management Area (WMA) was established in 1975. The WMA Rules restrict hunting by non-customary land owners.[8] In 1993 it was listed as awetland of international importance under theRamsar Convention.[3] In 1995 a Tri-National Wetlands Program was initiated byWWF between Tonda WMA, Wasur NP, and the AustralianKakadu National Park, which led to a Memorandum of Understanding between the three government conservation agencies in 2002.[9] In 2006 it was proposed as aWorld Heritage Site, as part of the larger Trans-Fly Complex.[4]
The WMA is the subject of poaching by people from neighbouring Papua Province, Indonesia. Local people also harvest and sell a number of wildlife resources to merchants on the other side of the border, including deer meat and antlers, candlenut, the plastra of freshwater turtles, shark fins, saratoga (Scleropages jardinii) fingerlings and the driedswim bladders of certain fish.[10]