Project update - Fiji Coral Reef Conservation Project - September 2004
Added to website: 01 September 2004
Project Brief
Aim
The Fiji Coral Reef Conservation Project is a three-year project (2002-2005) to survey coral reefs of the Mamanuca Islands, the Yasawa Islands and other areas of Fiji. The programme provides training and conservation education opportunities for local Fijians, as part of an integrated programme to develop local capacity and ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of marine resources throughout the region.
Location
CCC Partners
CCC is working at the invitation of and in partners with the Government of Fiji, local communities, the tourism sector and other groups.
Marine Science Programme
Baseline Surveys
Number and location of Surveys
A. Mamanuca Islands
B. Yasawa Islands
Number of transects completed and opened
A. Mamanuca Islands
B. Yasawa Islands
Reef Check
A. Mamanuca Islands
B. Yasawa Islands
Interesting / Unusual Sightings
A. Mamanuca Islands
Another good month for mega fauna sightings, with numerous turtles seen at M&M’s, Vatu Yali, Yalo Drivi and Charlie’s. As you would expect from any trip to Supermarket several white tips, black tips and grey reef sharks were spotted. However, these were not our only shark sightings this month with white tips spotted at Vatu Yali, Yalo Drivi and Lovely Louise, a black tip was encountered in 50cm of water at Outer Barrier (!), and a grey reef shark has been seen on House. And to top off our shark sightings a Sickle Fin Lemon shark was seen on House and a very photogenic Leopard shark at Pinnacles.
Various rays - eagle, blue spotted and stingrays - have been seen on House and at Charlie’s, large schools of barracuda at Vatu Yali, Malolo Laialai and M&M’s, a couple of narrow banded king mackerel at Charlie’s, a humphead wrasse at Supermarket and batfish at Ed’s Diner.
Top this all off with numerous turtle at M&M’s, Vatu Yali, Yalo Drivi and Charlie’s, and you could say with have had another pretty good month of mega fauna sightings!
B. Yasawa Islands
Unusual sighting this month includes 50 Bumphead parrotfish, green turtle and a large black-blotched stingray.
Environmental Awareness
Capacity Building/Training of Local Counterparts
A. Mamanuca Islands
This month teaching started at the Namamanuca Primary School in Yanuya village, in the northern Mamanuca region. The Marine Environment Programme is a collaborative teaching effort between MES (Mamanuca Environment Society) and CCC. The programme has been written to last for the 13 weeks of the school term, with one 3-hour session scheduled every week. The children being taught are all in Class 7 and Class 8, with the age range extending from 11 to 13 years of age. The first session introduced MES, CCC and the Reef Check survey protocol. The second half of this session was spent snorkelling with the children out on the reef adjacent to their village, conducting several simple Reef Check surveys of the area. The village very kindly granted permission to set aside this area as a small ‘tabu’ or protected area for the duration of the school programme, and perhaps longer. The aim of conducting Reef Check surveys with the children right at the beginning of the course was to start them thinking about the diversity of life under the sea, and also about the benefits of protecting areas. The Reef Check surveys will be repeated at the end of the course, and the results from the two surveys can then be compared and discussed in terms of any noticeable changes and possible reasons for them. So far lessons have covered the coastal zone, the communities found there, and the way these communities interact and are important to each other.
The setting up of permanent Reef Check sites with the Mamanuca Dive Operators is still continuing. Recently sites were marked out and surveyed by Castaway Diving, and AquaTrek Matamanoa. This involved a day of refreshing memories on the indicator species for Reef Check and the survey methodology, and then diving to set up deep and shallow surveys at each site selected for monitoring. Data from all of these Reef Check surveys is starting to build up, but with 70 separate sites to set up, it will be some time before all the data is finally in and analysis can begin!
Two scholarship students have been accepted this month to join us here at Ravinaki in November. One student will be completing the full four-week programme of dive training, science training and surveying. Another student has opted instead for the Snorkelling Reef Awareness Award which involves three full days of snorkelling and science training.
B. Yasawa Islands
A Dive Operator Workshop is currently being put together for West Side Water sports, Tavewa Island Dive Centre. The starting day of the workshop is still to be decided.
Educational Programmes - Ratu Meli Memorial School (RMMS)
Class 7 at RMMS are now up to lecture seven out of 10 in a CCC Coral Reef Awareness program conducted by Project Scientist for the Yasawa Islands. Major topics covered this month include coral reef food webs, the importance of coral reefs and potential threats, best fishing practices and littering of the marine environment.
FCRCP Year Two Review
A. Mamanuca Islands
The 8th of October sees Coral Cay presenting the data that it has collected up to and including the end of year two of the FCRCP. The meeting to be held in Fijis capital city, Suva will include both the data and findings thus far from our projects as well as planning the way ahead for the next year. Next months report will include detail on the content and outcomes of the meeting.
B. Yasawa Islands
The 8th of October sees Coral Cay presenting the data that it has collected up to and including the end of year two of the FCRCP. The meeting to be held in Fijis capital city, Suva will include both the data and findings thus far from our projects as well as planning the way ahead for the next year. Next months report will include detail on the content and outcomes of the meeting.
