The Jomard Islands are an uninhabited island group in the Coral Sea, belonging to Papua New Guinea, It lies to the east of Montemont Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago.
Administrative
Administratively they belong to the province of Milne Bay in the southeastern part of Papua New Guinea.
They are controlled by the chief of
Utian Island, the nearest inhabited island.
History
The Jomard Islands are situated within a passage which was used by the Empire of Japan to invade the Coral Sea in order to capture
Port Moresby during World War II. In 2016, the islands were designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area.
Geography
The Jomard Islands are located on the south side of Jomard Passage, a wide passage between the Atoll
Duperre Islands in the west and the western edge of the barrier reef of
Vanatinai to the east.
The largest of the islands, Pana Waipona (), located on a small reef in the middle of Jomard passage. It is used as a garden for Laeloga family of
Utian Island. The smaller island Panarairai () located east on a larger reef on the eastern edge of Jomard Passage. Both islands are low-lying, forested and are situated on the northern edges of their flat, lagoon.
They are located north west of the Montemont Islands.
The Jomard Islands are in the category "Mixed objects" that combines both criteria of the cultural and natural heritage.
Together with the
Conflict Group,
Duperre Islands,
Samarai and
Lunn Island, they form the Milne Bay Seascape (Pacific Jewels of Marine Biodiversity) and the government of Papua New Guinea applied to add this seapark to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
[ Milne Bay Seascape (Pacific Jewels of Marine Biodiversity) UNESCO, World Heritage Centre]
