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Dugong Emergency Protection Project
June 2013
You probably don’t need reminding, but we’re fast approaching the middle of 2013, and at break-‐neck pace. Thankfully, our project seems to be keeping up with this year’s frightening velocity, and we’ve showcased a number of our successes in this edition of Dugong News for you to share in our small triumphs. We hope you’ll enjoy the updates, and look forward to your continued support in order to secure the Western Indian Ocean’s last viable Dugong population.
Augmenting Law Enforcement To start, we would like to introduce our new law enforcement boats-‐ sponsored by SOS. Dugongo and Tubarão (meaning shark in Portuguese) have been patrolling the waters of the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park since March, and are instrumental in mitigating Dugong entanglement in illegal gill nets and preventing a host of illegal fishing activities in the Park’s Areas of Special Protection.
1. Augmenting Law Enforcement 2. Environmental Education 3. Sustainable alternative livelihoods for fishing
communities 4. Supporter’s page 5. Events 6. Coming soon
Dear Dugong conservation Supporters In the headlines
How inappropriate to call this planet Earth,
when it is clearly Ocean!
Dugong Emergency Protection Project
We’re really proud of the marine patrol results and what our partnership with the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park has achieved so far. In order for the Park’s Law Enforcement officers to record patrol activity, and measure its effectiveness, they were trained on how to operate GPS units. Head of Law Enforcement-‐ Tomas Manasse translated precise operating instructions where my limited Portuguese faltered. We visited each of the Park’s 6 outposts during April to complete phase 1 of GPS training. Follow-‐up training takes place at the end of each month when GPS data is analysed. Radio communications are an essential tool for enhanced law enforcement. Thanks to further funding from SOS, the project was able to purchase a full VHF radio communication system for the park. In May, base stations were installed at each of the Park’s 5 outposts, and 2 boat radios were installed. A big thank-‐you to Ocean Crest Trading for the generous discount on our fantastic waterproof radios!
Without effective law enforcement to mitigate Dugong entanglement in gill nets, the Bazaruto’s Dugong population would be at the mercy of incidental capture by artisanal fishers. With support from SOS, and through a Support Partnership with the Mozambique Government, the EWT is able to augment the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park’s law enforcement operations by implementing a rigorous marine patrol regime. This map indicates our joint patrol efforts between 27 March and 17 May. These patrols covered an extent of 1,377km, enabled the confiscation of 1,167 items of illegal fishing equipment including 3 gill nets, and seized 358kg of illegally harvested marine resources. Patrol records indicate that 33% of all fishing activities recorded were illegal, and that 80% of all boats found fishing within the Park were mainland residents. Only a small portion of the Park is designated for use by mainland fishing crews. So, based on our findings, one can assume that this zone (one of Multiple Use) is being heavily utilized. Accordingly, law enforcement efforts are being focussed on this Zone, as well as Zones of Total Protection, and areas that are known refuges for Dugongs.
Well done to a sterling team of law enforcement officers for these results!
The Dugong EPP is putting the final touches to a local environmental education curriculum, developed with the help of a former Busch Gardens educator, and now Dugong EPP volunteer-‐ Alison Cobianchi. Alison has created 30-‐minute lesson plans that have proved easy to deliver and involve lots of action and movement inside the classroom and out.
Dugong Emergency Protection Project
Patrol coverage
Dugong Emergency Protection Project
Environmental Education
Thanks to support from the La Guntza Foundation, we’ll be collating 24 interactive lesson plans into a teacher-‐friendly, marine-‐themed, environmental syllabus, and will host quarterly teacher-‐training workshops to help local schools use the new materials with ease.
Sustainable Alternative Livelihoods for fishing communities
Project Donors
The consumer is the power protecting our ocean’s resources…
The consumer is the creator of alternative livelihoods for fishing communities in the Bazaruto Archipelago…
…Only if the consumer purchases sustainable seafood harvested by a select group of sustainable fishermen.
The Dugong EPP will soon begin interviewing all island and mainland hotels, lodges, and restaurants to assess their seafood utilization levels and willingness to purchase endorsed sustainable seafood from a group of certified sustainable fishers. These fishers will participate in a voluntary transition from netting to hand line fisheries (to be trailed by 20 fishermen) as an alternative livelihood opportunity from July 2013 to July 2014.
Water Purification Chemical & Plant… is one of the Project’s loyal supporters, and continues to aid our work this year. In April, Martin Overy from WPCP donated a 10” tablet for our aerial surveillance monitoring programme, which will augment marine law enforcement and enable Dugong distribution monitoring as of June. Martin visited the project in May-‐ where we went in search of Bazaruto’s elusive Dugongs.
Our search near two-‐mile reef paid off with a brief glimpse of a lone Dugong-‐ but barely close enough to warrant a great sighting. Thanks for the visit WPCP and for your generous contributions to our work!
The Dugong EPP has just received a second Grant from SOS, which will fund aerial surveillance and monitoring activities, environmental education, more law enforcement training, and operational costs. We would like to thank Machilla Magic www.machillamagic.com and Odyssea Dive www.odysseadive.com for their continued donations!
Events Dawn at Umkomaas beach
on 8 June was perfect! The sea was flat, and weather conditions welcomed the EWT’s celebration of World Ocean’s Day in collaboration with I AM WATER Conservation Trust, supported by Ocean Worx Dive Charters. Our team of 12 freediver fund-‐raisers included SA’s record holder-‐ Hanli Prinsloo, who oversaw our drop down the bouy line. Our aim for the day was to freedive for Dugongs and accumulate as many meters as possible-‐ on one breath-‐ between us. On our way our to the dive site, we were met by a pod of humpback whales; which we all took as a small and silent token of support for our ocean conservation efforts from Mother-‐nature herself. World Ocean’s Day also marked my first ever attempt at freediving, and I managed a meagre 8m, while Beth Neal from Durban put us all to shame-‐ raising R10,000 for her impressive 30m dive!
Well done to the FREEDIVE FOR DUGONGS team-‐ your collective depth of 469m raised R14,000 for the Dugong Emergency Protection Project. These funds will be used to sponsor the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park’s Head of Law Enforcement (Tomas Manasse) to complete his final year of tuition at the South African Wildlife College in 2014. Tomas was awarded an accolade for the most improved student in 2012, and is dedicated to conservation of Mozambique’s natural resources.
Until the next edition of Dugong News… Warm wishes , Karen.
As of July, Dugong monitoring and aerial surveillance will be performed inside the BANP using a Bantam Ultra-‐light aircraft. SOS has donated funds to enable 200 hours of flying over the course of 12 months; enabling us to pinpoint seasonal Dugong hotspots and identify a range of illegal fishing activities from the sky! The aerial surveillance will tie in to and augment marine patrols; reporting any infringements to the nearest law enforcement boat.
In June, Pilot-‐ Janneman Conradie provided observer training to two scouts that have been selected for the aerial surveillance programme. Left: Joao is ready to take off, and prepares the survey app on our new tablet. Right: Bento prepares for his first aerial surveillance training exercise.
Food for thought…
In closing
Coming Soon…
For any queries , please get in touch: [email protected] To report Dugong sightings or gill nets , please text: 00258 84 2020704 To donate, please contact Bridget: [email protected]
