Coral restoration project, Watamu National Park, Kenya
From March to May, we trained the team of our partner Arocha Kenya in restoration practices. As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the park management requested our help in establishing a restoration project to address the long-term decline of local reefs. We were thrilled to work with a highly motivated and enthusiastic team in Watamu. We provided comprehensive training for Lucky, Simon, Peter and Carlos, covering all aspects of reef conservation, including coral transplantation, locating Corals of Opportunity, and coral farming. Additionally, we sponsored dive courses for Lucky and Carlos, who both graduated with honors.
During our visit we also trained our partner Bahari Hai for a new coral conservation project we are planning in Keani, north of Watamu. The reef has been severely impacted by overfishing and we discovered that poison, which devastates coral polyps, had been used in the past. We held sensitization sessions with the fishers to highlight the benefits of the conservation initiative. Before launching the restoration process, we plan to establish a no fishing zone. In exchange, we will provide conservation jobs, boost fish stocks in nearby areas through the spill over effect and explore opportunities for community-based tourism. With our support, the fishing villages are currently organizing into a cooperative. Once formed, they will establish by-laws to officially protect Keani reefs.
Mangrove conservation, Lombok, Indonesia
The mangrove forests around Cemare are heavily polluted with garbage from local households, preventing mangrove seedlings from taking root. Waste management in Indonesia is poorly organized and relies heavily on the village and on local initiatives. In the last 3 months, with our partner Indonesia Biru (=blue) Foundation, we set up a waste management system for 30 households, with plans to expand it to 200 households. Several forest cleanups and awareness events were organized and we have begun reforesting parts of the area. In Alor, East Indonesia, over the past year, awareness and education sessions were conducted and a mangrove reforestation project was set up. By the end of August more than 6.000 mangrove trees will be outplanted.
Protection of Elasmobranch (=sharks, rays and skates)
With our support, two partners in Kenya have recently started elasmobranch awareness sessions with fishers and school children, and one other partner is about to start. The programs we developed in the last 2 years are coordinated by our partner Bahari Hai. Sharks and rays are overfished and often caught as bycatch. Thru our programs we aim to change perceptions about these important animals. They are not mindless man-eaters nor competition for fishers; they are vital players in the marine ecosystem. We aim to continue this program several years and work with more partners in different areas.
El Niño and coral bleaching
El Niño started end 2023 and had its climax in December. El Niño brings hot water currents; it is a natural phenomenon but happens more often due to climate change. When the ocean temperature increases with more than 1 degree C, corals can expel their symbiotic algae (‘Zooxanthellae’) and turn white (‘coral bleaching’). The Zooxanthellae provide coral polyps with approx. 90% of their food and without this food source corals can die within weeks or a month’s time. If temperatures return to normal within a month, chances of survival are high. In Kenya the water temperature increased with 3-4 degrees in February-March; it lasted almost 6 weeks. Unfortunately, many coral colonies didn’t make it. But we also see corals struggling and recovering; this can take months. Our project areas in Indonesia seem to have recovered relatively well from the bleaching event, that also lasted shorter than in Kenya. Climate change is a major threat for coral reefs. If a reef is biodiverse and has healthy fish stocks, it has a higher chance of surviving these climate events. But the bottom line is, climate change has to stop.
Fish gear exchange Mida Creek, Watamu, Kenya
In 2023 with partner Bahari Hai we engaged 900 fishers through various meetings in Mida Creek. We conducted an initial pilot program in which 30 fisher groups (1 group = 2-7 fishermen that share their gear) directly participated in exchanging gears. The nets we distribute have larger mesh sizes, preventing the capture of juvenile fish and reducing bycatch of species such as turtles, sharks and rays. Unexpectedly, fishers from one village declared certain river inlets, which serve as habitats for juvenile fish, as no-fishing zones. After 5 months, these fishers reported an increase in their fish catch, measured in KG. Since Mida Creek has 5 major villages and 900 fishers spread across the area, the next step is to establish a cooperative. This cooperative will coordinate the exchange of all illegal fishing gear and establish a legal framework for the process.
