'Island of Love' causing population woes

Papua New Guinea's Trobriand Islands are famous for being the 'islands of love' but too much loving has led to a population explosion causing food shortages and serious health issues.

According to PNG's official census the Trobriands, situated in Milne Bay Province in PNG's south, have about 10,000 residents but locals say the number is now closer to 40,000.

The islands' infrastructure is stretched, their subsistence living is wearing thin and health issues are increasing.

This population increase has added stress to gardens and soils so much that there is talk of importing nutrient-rich volcanic ash from an active volcano in PNG's East New Britain province.

So bad are the crops that the traditional yam festival (Minimala) has not been held for the last 20 years because harvest sizes are not good enough to literarily sing or dance about.

Trobriand Islander Serah Clark now organises a smaller Ugwabwena Yam festival on Kiriwina in an attempt to revive the islands' dying traditions.

The Ugwabwena Festival last weekend drew 50 tourists from around the world to see famous local dances, singing and art and crafts.

"Unfortunately Minimala has been dying because of lack of yams.

"The amount of yams being produced has decreased and the chief can't hold a dance without a big pile of yams, even if the people want to dance," she said.

Charles Abel, PNG's Culture and Tourism minister, who comes from the Milne Bay Province, hopes tourism dollars can be used to tackle the islands problems.

"The population issue is key, when you've got limited space like this, unless we do something about the population there's going to be a real issue".

But does that mean the islands of love must stop what they are famous for?

"Culturally, it goes against the grain a bit but despite that, we've got to be practical, we can keep the culture, support the positive aspects of it but we have to fine tune it somewhat," he said.

Earlier this year it was reported 40 Trobriand Islanders died from preventable diseases in less than a month due to severe medicine and health service shortages.

The islands face not just sexual health issues but other disease outbreaks like typhoid, malaria and pneumonia due to polluted water, poor hygiene and a lack of medical infrastructure.